Mass Effect: The Warframe
by Bundlejumper
Summary: An SI where the main character ends up inside the Warframe universe, and following falls head first into the Mass Effect universe. There is a better summary inside, also this Fic will start in the Warframe universe and go into the start of ME 1 and will then follow the entire of ME 1 to the end. Read and Review please! Rated M for things to come.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello everyone! This is my second fic I have ever written, and I decided why not jump on the band wagon and do an SI? It might suck for all I know, but hey, I wanted to give it a shot, so if you guys wanna be brutal and rip me a new then please leave a review.**

**Description: Walking home on night, I somehow phase from our world onto a Grineer ship inside the Warframe universe, but that is only a pit stop for me it seems, because I end up inside the Mass Effect universe next, and I still have my Warframe, I made my choice to help Shepard beat the reapers, and it's going to be a hell of a lotta fun doing it with this sick Warframe!**

**My point of view. (This will later change to "Marc's point of view", once the character that represents me, moves so far away from my physique and mental state, that we become two different people)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect or the Warframe franchies, they belong to their original creators!**

"GET OUT, GET OUT, GET THE FUCK OUT!"

"SLAM" That was the sound of a door closing. Whom the door belongs to? Well I suppose it is now ex-girlfriend, but that is not really of importance. My name is Marc, my last name I think you can do fine without, I am just a normal guy, I am not really special in any way, I look normal although a bit on the heavy side, I am pretty tall going on 198 cm last time I checked, and since I am in my twenties, or well **twenty **I am not really going to be growing a hell of a lot taller. The girl whom just threw me out was Maria, she was my girlfriend for a little while, but as you just heard, that ended very loudly, what did I do? Well truth be told, I am not really sure. When I arrived here earlier today she was already pissed, following me saying hello it all went south, and fast. She started going on about me cheating on her with some green haired chick. I assume she was talking about Clara, my cousin whom I have a great habit of hanging around with a lot, since she is the only one from my family who understands my slight addiction to games.

All of that doesn't really matter. I am just going to head home, and forget today happened at all.  
I walked down the cold streets, it is December, but surprisingly there has been no snow this year, guess all the snow is just hiding until February, that way it can go ahead and ruin spring for us instead. A few streets from my home, I could have sworn that I saw the entire world flicker, and I mean not just flicker like I got dizzy, flicker like I could have sworn I saw the world change in front of my eyes, be it only for a second I could have sworn it looked like I was inside a giant metal warehouse or something.

I kept walking home, hoping that I was merely stressed or had a headache or something. But as fate, or god or whatever universal trickster decided to mess with me, it was not so, as I got closer to my home the flickers became more and more frequent. When I was standing in front of my front door it got really bad, I could smell the place now, it smelled foul, artificial and the stench was really heavy I got to tell you. I opened the front door hoping I was just getting really sick or something like that. But alas again it was not so, as I opened my front door and stepped through, I tripped over something, it wasn't the door step, it felt way more solid, like I banged my foot against raw metal, that is about all I remember before striking my head against the metal floor, and blacking out.

I awoke to the sound of strange voices. I couldn't understand what they were saying, all I could make out was this one word, but each time they spoke it, it was like they spat it out, "Tenno" that was the only word I could make out, and I didn't like the word, because I recognized it. "Tenno" is the word for the Space Ninja badasses from the "Warframe" game. I mustered every thought I had and ordered my eyes to open, I wanted to look around, I wanted to see just where the hell I was.

When my eyes opened, I immediately wished I hadn't opened them. I was met with the sight of four giant men in heavy armour, and the armour made them even more recognizable in my mind, this was Grineer troops I was looking at, and for some reason they kept looking back and forth between each other and me, and they kept repeating that word "Tenno" while pointing at me. Now from what I remember, the average Grineer trooper is not so smart, which is why I guess that have not noticed that I have awoken, and I am really praying they don't notice soon.

They kept talking between them, this one Grineer whom looked like a Grineer commander to me, kept yelling.

"No'thre kara ze thum va Tenno!"

This just seemed to irk the three other Grineer soldiers, who looked like regular Grineer grunts, which means that they are nothing but clones, and not of a very good quality either. They kept shouting back at the commander

"Ze thum ba Tenno, tarik ka skoro!"

I didn't know what the hell they are arguing over, but from the yelling, pointing and continued use of the word "Tenno", I am assuming they are arguing whatever I am a Tenno or not.

How the hell would they ever get it in their mind that I am a Tenno? I mean wouldn't they guess I am one of them instead? But then again, Grineer have been nothing but a clone race for a good long time, if memory serves. But still, me a Tenno? The idea is ridiculous in its own merit, I can't fight for shit, the best I have ever done in a fight was knocking the other guy out by pure chance.

Suddenly one of the Grineer looked at me and saw I was awake, as soon as he even made a small motion towards me I tried my luck, I jumped up and started running as fast as I could. I kept running, but it didn't seem to help much, when I got even remotely far away, the Commander just used that damn switch ability they have, and swapped places with me, the Grineer troopers grabbed me and held me in place as their commander walked back towards me.

"LET ME GO YOU ASSHOLE!"

I screamed at the Grineer holding me, but it's not like it did me any good, all it did was make him look at me and stare. As the commander kept coming closer I started looking around, I wanted a way out or anything to help me really, and that's when I looked out the window, and it stopped me dead in struggling I. Was. In. Space. What the flying fuck was I ever going to do, even if I got loose, it's not like there is somewhere for me to hide. Slowly my mind began accepting my fate that I was properly going to get sent off to some Grinner research facility, where I no doubt would become quite the fascinating autopsy for some scientist.

I looked out the window again as the commander started speaking, he was properly going on about where I was being sent, but truth be told I don't really care now, I mean I am going to die anyway. I just looked out the window and took in as much of space as I could before I would die. Huh, that's a capsule coming in to dock it seems, funny I didn't know the Grineer actually had smaller ships for that, but that would make a small amount of sense wouldn't it? Funny, it looks a little like… a Tenno boarding vessel… No way, no fucking way, I am not that lucky.

I looked intensely at the door that led closer to the ship, and I hoped it would open. After the longest fifteen seconds or so of my life, the door opened, and through it came a Warframe, and by the nine hells I never felt so relieved and awed in my life. The Warframe that walked through the door was Rhino frame, a fucking Rhino frame! Those things take a freaking army to take down!

"Hey, mind lending me a hand here mate?!"

I yelled at him, hoping to catch his attention, and it worked. The Rhino looked in our direction and in flash, or what I must assume to be the Rhino's Charge ability he was behind the commander, and in an equally swift motion he pulled out a gun and blew the brains out on the Commander, unfortunately? I was in front of said commander so I got covered in blood, brain tissue and armour scraps, and that is about all I registered before I passed out. I don't deal so well brain getting splattered all over me.

**Third Person Point of View**

The Tenno warrior looked down at the passed out thing that was not Grineer, the only problem the Tenno had with this lump of meat? It looked way too much like the records the Lotus had about the Humans from the Orikin era, and if that turned out to be true, the Tenno warrior could not risk anything and had to bring this supposed "human" back with him for the Lotus to examine and question.

The Tenno picked up the human man and carried him back to his shuttle; he strapped him in and then returned to his mission of exterminating every Grineer on the ship.

When the Tenno returned to his ship, he immediately set the autopilot to get him back to Tenno main base. As the ship started its journey, the Tenno contacted the main Base.

"Rhino-204 "Arck" calling Tenno main Base."

The reply was immediate

"_This is Tenno main base, what is the matter Arck?"_

"The mission was successful; all the Grineer aboard the ship has been eliminated"

"_Roger that Arck, but that hardly seems to be a reason to call the main base"_

"That is not why I am calling, I picked up something, someone on the ship, main base, he looks like a Human"

Silence was all the Tenno known as Arck heard for a long while.

"_Are you sure that it is a Human you have with you back Arck?"_

"Positive main base, he fits the description from the Lotus files. Though he seems to be weak or in bad shape, I suggest you have a medical team at the ready when I arrive."

"_Roger that Arck, a full medical and containment team will be at the landing zone. I will inform the Lotus, she will most likely meet you at the landing Zone as well" _

"Roger main base, eta is in three hours."

_"Understood Arck, main base out"_

Arck closed the com and turned around and looked at the strange creature that he thought to be a human, he mumbled quietly to himself

"What in the world where you doing on that ship, and more so, where did you come from?

Arriving back at Tenno main base, Arck was immediately swarmed by both medical personal and containment personal. Arck handed over the human to the medical team and then in short with the containment personal about the possible diseases the human could have given him. This conversation was however cut short, when the Lotus arrived. Every Tenno that was present bowed in respect for their Leader.

"Arck, you are not the one I would suspect to bring back things from missions, especially not living things"

The Lotus spoke directly to Arck like he was an equal, this is what make The Lotus so loved and respected by the Tenno.

"It was not my intention at first Lotus, but I deemed it worth the risk to bring him with me, in the case that he truly is a human from the Orikin Era"

The Lotus eyed Arck for a short while, and then spoke in a very calming tone

"It was the right choice Arck, and if he truly is a human, then we now have a once in a lifetime chance to finally learn more about them"

Arck merely bowed his head, and then slowly walked off towards his living quarters. But all the way there, he couldn't get rid of this nagging feeling in the back of his head, he kept thinking that this "human" was going to be the start of a strange time.

**A/N: Alright! First chapter done, though we are staying inside the Warframe universe for one more chapter, I just need to get the whole "Me getting my own Warframe!" and the events that lead me into the Mass Effect universe out of the way, I hope you will join me again next time!**

**Ps: I write when I get the itch for it, which is usually late at night, I will try to do weekly updates, but I promise nothing! And for all you know I might update once a day for a week :P**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hello again! Before we go on I would just like to thank all you who have Favorited/Followed and the few who left a review. It really does help fuel me to write more and better chapters! Well I just wanted to let you all know that this will be the chapter I finish up in the Warframe universe. Also some things about the Warframe universe is changed to better fit the story. Btw be ready for a time skip of epic proportions in this chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect or the Warframe franchises.**

**Third Person Point of View**

Arck walked around the main base for a good while, he couldn't decide what to do, he was simply to curious about the supposed "human" he had brought back with him. But he knew that he couldn't get to see or talk to the human for a while, since the science department, will keep a tight hold on him for as long as they can.

Eventually making his way to the living quarters Arck decided he might as well get some sleep for a change. The remaining walk to Arck's living quarters he heard all sorts of whispers, everyone was already talking about the "human", some good things were heard and some bad. Arck actually heard someone say they thought the human would wipe them out, Arck had to stifle a laugh at this, that human? Kill them? Now that was a joke and half, that human didn't look able to kill anything, much less even fight.

Arck opened the door to his quarters, upon entering he swung around grabbed a solid, yet invisible object from right behind him and crashed it against the wall, slowly a Loki Warframe stepped out of Cloak and a borderline insane voice (Think Joker style) spoke

"Ohh come on Arck, can't a guy just follow his favorite walking Tank around anymore?"

Arck grunted beneath his helmet and applied more strength to the neck of the Warframe, this got the reaction he was looking for, and the Loki frame started giving in at the throat. The Loki instantly started squirming and flailing with his arms, trying to get out of the iron hold Arck held him in. Eventually Arck released the Loki and with a venom clear in his voice said

"Get out Locar; I have no time for your games"

The Loki user took of his helm, and a severe grin was visible at his face (Again, think Joker), he opened his mouth to speak, but one loud crash and a broken wall made him shut up, and leave Arck alone to his thoughts.

Finally alone Arck disabled his Warframe and stepped out of it, now Tenno do not look so different from a Human, only taller, and more pale, nearly white as a sheet. Arck himself was one of the tallest Tenno you would ever meet, standing a massive 356 cm tall, Arck never had to look up in his life, and the only other Tenno that exceed Arck in height would be his late father. Arck also sported short brown hair and a pair of deep pale blue eyes. He was also considered one of the best looking Tenno currently around, this led him to be quite the wanted child partner.

Planting the Warframe on its holding platform, Arck immediately flopped down on his bed and went to sleep; hoping that when he awoke the Lotus would know more about the strange "human".

**My point of view**

I could hear voices, many of them; they kept going back and forth like the first time I woke up. My entire body was in pain, my stomach felt hollow and my mouth tasted like a public toilet. Slowly I remembered what had happened, I am in the Warframe universe, I was close to getting killed, and I was saved by a Rhino Warframe, this is surreal to say the least.

Slowly I open my eyes and I am met by a dimmed light and a few shadows moving outside of my vision, it seems I am not fully awake yet, so my vision is quite blurry. I sit up in what is a surprisingly comfortable bed, and I start rubbing my eyes, hoping to get my full vision back.  
I keep hearing these voices, one is distinctly female, very formal sounding, but the others are speaking rushed, almost frantic, I do not like how this is looking so far, even if I am in a Tenno compound I have no idea how to communicate with these people, ehh Tenno, ehh aliens? Can I even call them people? Or do they prefer Tenno?

My thoughts are cut short when I notice my vision is finally not blurred anymore, I start slowly looking around, taking in everything I am seeing, my eyes stop when they reach the first living thing I see, and my thought process simply stops, I don't know if it's because it's my first time looking at a Tenno outside their Warframes, or perhaps it's because this being is the single most beautiful person I have ever laid my eyes on, but whatever the cause I keep starting at this beautiful creation, she or at least I am assuming "she" since I can see a clear set of breasts, and no those were not the first thing I noticed, or maybe they were I don't know. But she was so perfect, a tall slender body, long flowing silver hair which only seemed to flow perfectly together with her pearl white skin, when she looked in my direction I saw her eyes, they had golden irises, the way she stared at me was properly because I was awake, but when she stared at me I didn't feel disgust or hatred in her glance, only curiosity.

I snapped out of my trance when she took a step towards me, while at the same time speaking to the group of people in the room that was still debating, I looked over to the group she was talking to, and there I saw them, about six Tenno just standing there staring at me, but that was not what made my blood freeze in my veins, no that was the sight of the Lotus.

When I was playing Warframe back home, all I ever saw of the Lotus was her head, and that weird head piece she always wore, but in reality, actually staring at her? She is scary, her body is very much like the other Tenno, but her skin still has something that resembles color, but what is scary about her? The aura she gives off when she looks at you, an aura that commands complete respect and obedience, it was horrifying the way she was staring at me, like I was something that could easily be discarded and forgotten in a single motion. The scary feeling disappeared as soon as she spoke, I didn't understand anything she said, but her voice was way more soothing then it was in game, I mean it sounded like a mother speaking to a sad child, trying to cheer him or her up, it made me smile without thinking about it, and I spoke again without really thinking.

"Sorry Lotus, but I don't understand a damn thing you are trying to say"

I kept smiling as I spoke, and despite her properly not understanding anything I just said, she seemed to get the message. She turned towards one of the Tenno and pointed into a room, the Tenno immediately went into the other room. I sat in silence, trying to guess what the Lotus asked that Tenno to get, but I also found myself staring at the beautiful Tenno I was looking at two minutes ago, she really was beautiful, never mind the fact that her and I properly have zero in common, and even less to talk about, but still I wanted to at least get her name somehow. Just as I opened my mouth to speak again the Tenno returned from the other Room, he has this device, which to me looked like a regular wrist watch, but I'll bet about a million euro that it isn't. True to my belief the Lotus grabbed the device and approached me, she held out her hand indicating that she would like me to put my hand in hers, I did as she wanted and placed my hand in hers, it was warm, like really warm, guess Tenno have a higher core temperature then humans do.

The Lotus put the device on my wrist and pressed something on the top. I looked at the device, wondering what it did, since nothing had happened for a good thirty seconds since she put it on my wrist, but then it happened, a spike or something from the underside of the device bore into my wrist, and believe me, having something that feels like a small drill go into your wrist, is not pleasant in fact, it hurts like hell. But as soon as the pain came it went again, and I just looked at the Lotus with a mixed expression, a bit of confusion and a bit of anger, I mean she did just put something on my wrist that decided to drill into my wrist. The Lotus must have caught my look and smiled, she then waited for a little while before speaking.

"Hello young one, I am called the lotus, do you understand me?"

My mouth dropped, not just did I understand her, but it came out in clear English, her mouth even made the movements for the words, safe to say I was more than a bit confused, but I answered none the less.

"Yeah, I understand you, my name is Marc"

The lotus smiled once again, this time it was a bit wider and warmer, I actually smiled again because of that, the woman is infectious with that smile I tell you. She spoke in a soft tone again.

"That is good, the nanites are doing their job then, now we are going to run some medical tests on you if that is okay with you? But first answer this question, are you human?"

I looked a little confused by the question at first, until I realized what she was fishing after; she wants to know if I am from the same time as the Orokin humans, how the hell am I going to swing this? I mean I am not really from there, I only know of that era, and that is from the Dark Sector game, hmm perhaps that is my way, just pretend to be from the same time as Hayden Tenno, lets first see if they even know his name anymore.

"I am human yes, but if you want to know if I am from the same time as the Orokin, then no, I came from about the same time as Hayden Tenno"

The reaction was immediate and a hell of a lot more than I expected, the Lotus took steps backwards, the other Tenno in the room looked even paler, some of them looked downright scared. I know that Hayden was the first of the Tenno, but what the hell are they scared of? That I carry the Technocyte Virus? Do they even know what that is any longer? The Lotus was the first to speak up.

"Hayden Tenno… the first… you are from his time? But that would make you several thousand years old"

I stared at her, wondering how the hell I was going to explain this, I mean I can't really say that I just kind of faced into this world now can I? I guess a half-truth would work best here.

"True, but I am however only twenty years old, I passed out in my own time and when I awoke I found myself aboard the Grineer ship, from which I was saved by that Rhino Warframe"

That is partially true, but it also reminded me of something else, I spoke again before anyone had a chance to comment on what is said.

"By the way, where is the Tenno that saved me? I would like to thank him in person if it's possible?"

My question seemed to get registered but not considered, I guess they are still a bit surprised about the fact I am from the time of Hayden Tenno. But that is to be expected isn't it? I mean you get faced with someone claiming to be from the same time as your origin, which must be quite the load to process. One of the Tenno in the back seemed to have a moment of clarity, and spoke up

"B-but if you are from the same time as Hayden Tenno, then how do you know of the Orokin?"

That caught me off guard, mostly because I thought the mere idea of me being from the same time as Hayden would shock them to forget the whole Orokin idea, fat lot of good that did me. I got to stop counting on my shitty luck, I really need to think this one over, and perhaps the truth really is the best call? Or another half-truth… half-truth it is!

"Because Hayden already started uniting the human race, he claimed this would be a golden age, the age of the Orokin, that is how I know the Orokin, I simply assumed the rest since you all carry his name "Tenno", I just kind of guessed you were connected"

Ohh please let that one little lie work, pretty please!

"I see my apologies I did not think my question through"

Yes! Score one for the shitty luck, and nine years of elementary school were I lied through my teeth to survive; I calmed my nerves and answered.

"No problem, I would be a little tense as well if I was faced with someone like myself, I mean if I met someone from the same time as my ancestors? Whew that would be quite the thing to wrap my mind around"

The Tenno seemed to accept that and went back to thinking it seems. The Lotus was the next one to speak up.

"This is really something, I have so many questions I would like to ask, but first things first, let's ensure that you are healthy and didn't suffer any damage while onboard the Grineer ship. And as for your request to meet with the Tenno who saved you, his name is Arck and I will ask of him to see you when your tests are done"

I nodded and gave a small thank you. The Lotus then turned and left together with four of the other Tenno, the remaining three Tenno must be the ones to do the tests. One of them seemed to have read my mind and spoke up.

"Yes well, first of all; Greetings, my name is Alcor, I am the head of the medical department, and will be in charge of your health checkup, the two other Tenno here are Crawa, he is our head surgeon, and then there is Sivra, whom is the leader of the nurse staff"

My thoughts cut off when he spoke the last name, "Sivra" that was the name of the beautiful Tenno whom I have been starting at whenever I got the chance, I registered that both Sivra and Crawa bowed as a greeting, I merely did the same and then replied to Alcor.

"Thank you, you can call me Marc, and I should warn you, for a human I am in pretty bad physical shape."

Alcor seemed to accept this and went into the next room to get his tools, he returned and the tests began, Alcor explained to me that he would take a blood and tissue sample, followed by me getting a full body scan. I merely accepted and followed instructions, it didn't take all that long for it all to get done, two hours and I was left in a medical room, I was informed that I should wait here, and that the Lotus and the Tenno who saved me would arrive soon. I am actually nervous about this, I mean it's a one on one with both the Lotus and the Tenno who saved me, and I believe Lotus called him Arck, is that it? Yeah Arck sounds about right.

I waited for ten minutes and then the door opened to reveal the Lotus beautiful form, and behind her I saw yet another stranger, Tenno that much was clear, same pale skin, but blue eyes and brown short hair, he looked quite good actually. The Lotus gave me a nod and introduced us.

"Marc, I would like to introduce you to Arck, the Tenno who saved you from the Grineer ship."

Arck walked over to me and put his hand forward along with a few words

"Good to see you awake and up, I do apologies for the whole brain splatter thing"

I cringed at the memory, yeah getting brain all over you, followed by blacking out as well as unconscious vomiting? Not a good feeling, but I shook his hand and replied in good spirit.

"No problem, you have no idea how much I prayed when I saw your ship docking, I am just glad you walked through that door, and not another one, or I might be in some Grineer lab getting dissected right now."

Arck put on a smile and I felt his grip tighten a bit as we shook hands, he eventually let go and the Lotus spoke up.

"So Marc, it would seem we have to house you for a good while, until we find out what to do with you. Sadly I do not know how many free living spaces we got left, you must understand we cannot let you live alone, at least not right away, we need to know how you adjust to being here."

I nodded, it was quite sound logic, leaving me alone could cause a lot of problems, I mean if I just decide to walk around the base without anyone to tell me where I am going, I might as well be walking into the women's showers, not that I would care mind you, I am sure it would be quite the sight, but I do also want to keep living. While the Lotus was pondering about what to do with me, I looked at Arck a little, he looked friendly enough, but my sweet heavens the dude was tall, we are talking a full meter and a half above me; it was terrifying to look at. But then again, since waking and getting my tests taken, I realized that I am really tiny here, I mean Alcor was at least a meter taller than me, same with Crawa and Sivra. But that didn't really faze me, eventually though I started to wonder if the Lotus was going crazy from all that thinking she was doing, but to my luck, and the Lotus relief Arck spoke up.

"He can live with me Lotus, I have a spare bed and I live in the lowest level of the living quarters, this way Marc would always be within reach of one Tenno, and he would not have to learn to navigate the living quarters above the first floor."

Lotus thought it over, and then she smiled and nodded.

"That is indeed a good idea Arck; I think this will suit us all perfectly. If you would lead him there now and show him around at the same time?"

Arck nodded and jerked his head at me in a motion to follow him; I bowed to the Lotus and then followed after Arck. I must say the Tenno main base, is quite impressive, there is actually running water and vegetation in here, when we got close enough I could actually touch the trees and feel the leaves, despite me not recognizing any of the trees in here, it was still beautiful to look at.

Arck remained quiet for the entire walk, I didn't ask him anything because I wasn't going to be pushy with a guy almost double my height, even I am not that stupid.

When we arrived at Arck's quarters, he opened the door and led me inside. It was actually quite modest I must say. Four rooms by my count, Bathroom, Kitchen, Living Room and Bedroom. Arck let me into the bedroom and showed me my bed, needless to say the thing despite being meant for only one Tenno, could easily hold two humans, so I didn't complain, not that I would even if I had a problem. He then showed me the Bathroom, and to my utter surprise the toilet looked much like the ones back home, just more futuristic and well streamlined I guess. The kitchen was next, and to my big surprise that looked way too much like a regular kitchen would, despite its odd look I recognized the stove, oven, fridge and cabinets, advanced technology my ass, this looks like something from a bad future house in the old amusement parks. And lastly Arck showed me the living room, in there was a couch, some of Arcks personal training equipment, his Warframe, which by the way I stared at for quite a while, and then there was a Window looking over the huge garden outside, and lastly I noticed the big bookshelf, with plenty of books I might add, but more or less what I expected from it really. Not like they needed television here, or a computer for that matter. Arck sat down and gestured me to do the same, as I sat down he began to speak.

"So Marc, this will be your home from now on, I don't have many rules, the simplest and most obvious one is, "don't touch my frame", if you do I will have no problem with physical punishment."

I nodded, it seemed obvious me too.

"Also, you can take whatever food you like, I don't eat that much, nor do I need too. If you want to go outside I will have to escort you, we will do a tour of the base at a later date. For now you just need to know how to get to the medical wing and back here."

I nodded again; this was simple rules to follow.

"Finally, there is the most important thing, watch out for who you talk with and let in here, anyone you think looks suspicious, which I imagine is everyone, don't let them in. And by no means do you let anyone near my frame. That is all the rules I really have, any questions?"

I looked around, and then back to Arck before answering.

"Nope, simple rules, followed easily, since I am in truth scared shitless of this place, for all I know you alone could split me in half with a finger wave."

Arck laughed at this, and to my surprise his laugh was hearty and loud, he looked at me with a glint in the eye before deciding to irk me a little.

"Yup, just a hand wave and you would most likely be in two pieces."

I cringed a little. That was not a good mental image for me to get in there. A knock sounded on the door, and Arck went to answer it. In the meantime I took a closer look at the Warframe in the room, and I must say, this thing look badass as all hell, I mean those of you who have seen the Rhino frame in the game, you know how badass this thing is, but trust me in real life, this thing look like it could go against an army of tanks, and still come out without a scratch.

Arck returned quite quickly, and if he had a problem with me looking at his frame he didn't say, all he did was tell me that we were going back to the medical wing for my test results.

Again the walk to the medical wing was silent, I was too busy observing everything I could, this entire place fascinated me to no end, and I mean I was inside one of my favorite video games for Christ sake! I faded a little from my mind as I walked and bumped into a corner, when I felt the pain I was shook back to reality, and a horrifying truth came crashing into my mind. I was in another world. I don't know if I can ever get back home. That truth really hit me hard, I continued to walk behind Arck, but now my mind wouldn't stop thinking about my family and friends I had left behind, and what the hell had actually happened to me back on earth? Did I just vanish into thin air? Or is there a corpse behind my front door.

Eventually we reached the medical wing again, and I was once more led into the same room I was in while I waited for Arck and the Lotus, it seems this is the waiting room. This time however it only took a minute for someone to appear, it was Crawa. Crawa came in and sat down in front of me and Arck, and not sooner than he had sat down, the Lotus walked in the door and did the same, in the chair next to Crawa. Crawa spoke almost as soon as the Lotus had sat down.

"Well Marc, I must say your physiology is fascinating, you have many organs that we Tenno have since either evolved from or simply don't have. Your body does also seem to be in quite the bad state, as you said yourself. But nothing life threatening, but your Blood sample is what really fascinates me, the way the red and white blood cells work is amazing, I could study it for years!"

Crawa was smiling the entire time, he obviously loves science very much, but I am not sure if I like the thought of him using my blood for his next thesis… Crawa spoke again.

"But all that aside I can't really tell how you will adapt to being here, I guess only time will tell."

I nodded, it would seem I am going to have to find a way to live on this base now, and just try and be useful to someone, I guess that starts with just answering any questions the lotus might have. As I was about to speak I felt a small amount of pain near my heart, it felt just like heart flutter, so I ignored it for now, I looked at the Lotus and spoke.

"So Lotus, if you have any questions, I would be more than happy to answer them to the best of my ability."

The Lotus practically beamed at this, I must assume she really wants to learn about earth it in its younger days. She spoke with glee

"Yes! I have so many questions I want to ask, but I guess I will need some time to compile them in order, so that I can get the best answers, and make the most sense of them."

I smiled at her and nodded, it would seem I will get the rest of the day off to just explore, that is if Arck will show me around at all. I guess I should ask.

"Well then if you will need some time, Arck what do you say too sho…"

The pain I felt a minute ago returned, but this time it was excruciating, I couldn't stand it for more than few seconds before I felt my vision darken, and again I found myself slipping into unconsciousness.

**Third Person Point of View**

As Marc slumped forward, Arck reached forward and grabbed him, immediately Crawa stood up and opened a com line to the head medic.

"Alcor! We got an Emergency, Marc just collapsed! I am bringing him to observation room C!"

The response was immediate and sounded worried

"Understood, I will be there in two minutes, try to find out the cause!"

Crawa didn't bother to reply, he was too busy getting Marc carried into the observation room. As soon as Marc's body hit the bed Crawa started looking over him, checking his pulse and heart rate. Crawa felt a speedy pulse, and Marc looked like he was getting paler by the second, Crawa looked into Marc's eyes and saw they were rolled into the back of his head. The Lotus eventually spoke.

"Crawa, what is wrong with him?"

Crawa turned to the Lotus, a panicked look in his eyes.

"I don't know yet, so far it seems like a bleeding, but since we can't see any external wounds it must be internal, but we know next to nothing about his body, if I try to locate the injury I might make it worse!"

Lotus looked concerned for a while, until Alcor burst into the room. Crawa told Alcor every observation he had made so far, and Alcor agreed with his assessment.

"Crawa lets move him into the scanner, we need to find that wound!"

Crawa again didn't answer, he just started rolling Marcs bed into the scanner room. When they arrived Sivra was already there, with the scanner ready for use, no words were said, every action carefully performed with perfection that came of years of experience for all three of the medics present.

As the scanner did its work Alcor looked to Arck and started inquiring about where they had been since they left. Arck answered very carefully.

"I took him to my quarters, and then back here when you requested it Alcor, he could not have come into contact with anything that could cause an infection."

Alcors reply was immediate.

"Not for us maybe, but remember his physiology is completely different from ours, for all we know his body might not be able to handle anything in the air."

Upon hearing his own words Alcor seemed to come to a realization, he mumbled to himself.

"The air… his body must be used to some form of oxygen, as his lungs are fully developed, but what is different from air back then to the one we breathe now?"

Overhearing Alcors words, Lotus spoke up.

"Alcor, if he comes from Hayden Tennos time, then he is from earth, which means he used to breathing clean oxygen, our air contains a lot of antibodies, as well as nanites to ensure that every Tenno is as healthy as they can be before missions."

This made Alcors eyes open fully, he seemed to grasp what is wrong even before the scan finished.

"His body can't handle the antibodies we need; since his DNA is so much different from ours his body must be trying to reject them! And for all we know the Nanites might consider his entire body a disease to be cleansed!"

When the scanner finished, it only confirmed both of Alcors theories, Marc's body was trying to remove the antibodies from his system, but with the nanites also inside Marc, eating him from the inside slowly due to the nanites not recognizing the DNA of an old human, the stress on Marcs body is simply too much, it will break down in a matter of hours if this goes on. After a while of frantic talking and brainstorming on how to fix this, Crawa spoke up.

"I have a theory, but whatever or not it will work I do not know."

Everyone simply gestured for him to continue.

"What if we inject Marc with our own DNA? Try to fool the nanites into thinking he is Tenno? Maybe with our DNA present, the antibodies will also take hold in his body and his body might stop rejecting them?"

Lotus merely looked on, so did Arck and Sivra, Alcor however looked thoughtful before he spoke.

"That might work, but if we do this, it can't just be a small portion of our DNA, we are will need to somehow fuse his DNA with ours, basically make him a hybrid, either that or his body might reject the new DNA too, and that will surely kill him."

Alcor looked to the lotus for permission, she nodded, letting Alcor know this is what he is to do, and understanding that, Alcor immediately started working on the process. Alcor also ordered Crawa to begin planning out Marcs DNA so that the two strands could fuse and become one.

The race to save Marcs life was ongoing, the DNA that was used was freely given by Arck, in knowledge that this in theory made Marc his half-brother, but Arck didn't care about that stuff at first, right then it was all about making sure Marc would survive.

When the procedure began you could almost cut the tension in the air with a knife, rumor had spread about the humans condition and many a Tenno showed up, to either witness the death of a human or the birth of a hybrid, both a first for any Tenno present. After three hours the procedure was done, and Marc was put into a closed room where he could be observed for the next many hours to come, that would show if he would survive and become a hybrid, or die a human.

**10 Hours following the procedure**

Marcs numbers stabilized, his heart calmed down to normal levels again, and some of the antibodies began taking hold inside his body.

**21 Hours following the procedure**

Marc's skin began paling visibly, as well the nanites in his body reversing their actions, now working to fix Marcs inside rather than destroying them.

**48 Hours following the procedure**

Marc's skin is now as pale as any other Tennos; his eyes have taken on the same blue color as his donor Arcks, as well as his hair changing into the same color as Arck. All the antibodies have taken hold and are working in tandem with the nanites to ensure Marc remains healthy. The procedure is a success and Marc is now the first Tenno/Human hybrid to ever exist.

**My point of view**

When I finally come to again, I feel different, good almost perfect really, like nothing is wrong with my body, I also feel slightly stronger or healthier perhaps. I try to open my eyes, but find it quite the challenge since my entire body feels like a ton bricks, but despite it all I slowly force my eyes open. Like last time I awoke from a blackout I am met with slightly dimmed lights, but this time my vision isn't blurry, in fact its better then I remember. I sit up and rub my eyes for a second, and that's when I notice, my fingers a pale, like really pale, they almost look like… a Tennos… holy shit.

My first reaction is hyperventilating, I start breathing rapidly as I check the rest of my body, and indeed I am as pale as the Tenno, I look around the room and notice a mirror by the wall, I slowly get out of my bed, and I take the most careful steps I have ever taken towards that mirror. When I finally reach it and see my reflection, I don't believe it at first, it's like it doesn't really register at first, but the more I stare at it the more I must accept that the reflection starting back through the mirror, really is me. In a flash of rage, I smash my hand into the mirror breaking it, I am surprised when I don't feel any pain, nor is there any wound on my fist despite just smashing glass, slowly my anger turns into confusion, and I try hard to recall what the hell has happened. The last thing I remember is asking Arck if he would show me around the base, and then nothing.

My thought pattern is broken when the door opens, and I lay eyes on Sivras form coming through the door.

"Good, you are awake. We were starting to worry that you were dead"

I looked at her and I get more confused, the question pops through my mouth before I think.

"What. The. Hell. Happened?"

The tone is a lot more threatening then I meant it to be, but alas if you woke up and found your body had changed its color along with your eyes and hair, you might be a little distressed as well. To Sivras credit she didn't even flinch.

"You collapsed two days ago, your body was trying to reject the antibodies that float in the air of this base, as well as the nanites that come with those antibodies"

My look of confusion grows bigger as I can't stop myself from asking.

"How did you save me?"

Sivra smiles warmly at me and answers.

"We spliced you DNA with ours, you are now the first ever Human/Tenno hybrid."

The answer hit me like a ton of bricks and my legs give out from under me, Sivra hurries to my side to check if something is wrong, but physically I am fine, mentally I might be a bit broken, I mean a hybrid? Really? That was the only way to save me. Fuck… I really don't know what to do now, so I ask.

"How?"

Sivra smiles again.

"Arck donated his DNA for the procedure, it took a while, but eventually your body accepted the new DNA and along with that acceptance came the acceptance of the antibodies and nanites."

I got tears in my eyes, and slowly they started falling, it was not loud crying, just tears falling down my cheeks, partially of happiness for being alive, and partially out of fear of now being both Tenno and human at the same time. Eventually Sivra got me back into the bed, she left to grab the Lotus, apparently she wanted to get notified the instant I awoke, and I was left in silence.

The silence didn't last long, about two minutes after Sivra leaving, Arck entered the room. I could see it in his eyes, concern, fear, but most of all determination; he spoke with a strong voice.

"It is good to see you awake my friend. I feared your body might reject my DNA. But now that you have gained acceptance to it, I guess there is no way around it, now we are brothers, in the biological term at least."

He said the bit with a small grin, and I smiled back realizing he was right. If it was Arcks DNA I received I guess that makes us brothers in some regard, funny I only ever had one brother, my older brother back on earth, now suddenly I got another one inside the Warframe universe, this is getting stranger by the minute.

"So I guess now you will have to live with your brother huh Arck? That is if you still want to keep me around"

I said with a half-smile, and to great joy Arck simply smiled and replied.

"Of course I will keep you around, for nothing else then to ensure that you don't have another break-down, after all we don't know how well your body will take too all these changes."

I gave a nod and a silent thank you as the Lotus walked through the door. She also had a large smile on her face, and her words are calm and caring.

"Well Marc I will say you are now even more unique then before, Welcome to the ranks of the Tenno"

And with that, it all begins anew inside my head; I wonder how this is going to turn out.

**2 Years later.**

It has been so long since that little procedure that turned me into a Hybrid, in the two years that have passed the other Tenno have taken to calling me Echo, the reason for the nickname I guess comes from the fact I now am, a sort of echo of both human and Tenno. My body has also changed a lot in the last two years, it slowly got thinner and more muscled, but as I quickly learned, it is merely my body refitting itself to match my new DNA, I did not become stronger in any sense, if anything it was like my new DNA just removed all extra fat on my body and left me only with my muscles.

In the two years that have gone me and Arck have become like real brothers, he teaches me everything he can at all times, always going on and on about my safety, it's nice really, I missed my real brother and family all the time, so having Arck around acting like my brother was good for my soul. Right now, I am walking in the hall of reverence, it's a hall filled with Warframes, well there is only 17 Warframes in here, those are all the known ones at least, there are plenty of open spots for future Warframes that still haven't been unearthed.

I love walking around in here, it helps keep my sanity a bit in check, I always force myself to remember my past, my friends and family and everything about my home, I never want to forget. But as it stands I am just living my life, I somehow managed to enter this interesting relationship with Sivra, she says it's because she finds me interesting, and I know that is because of the whole hybrid thing, but I hope this turns into something more.

But this time my little trip to the Hall of Reverence is more than just a tour around the hall, I am choosing my Warframe, yeah I know crazy, but Arck says he wants me to choose, everyone seems to think that now that I have Tenno DNA, I should be able to pilot a Warframe, I hope they are right, because to be honest, since I found this hall for the first time, it has been my dream to pilot one. Sivra, who uses a Trinity frame on her missions often tells me my mindset is just right for a Volt or Loki frame, but I have actually been looking at the Oberon frame a lot, I only just managed to play with it for a while back home on earth when it was released, and I liked what I tried, a good combination of Defense and Offence, but Arck have warned me, when choosing a frame don't force it, you need to let the Warframe choose you as much as you choose it. This however let to quite the joke about me being chosen by the Valkyr Warframe, it is a hybrid between Corpus Tech and Tenno Technology, so everyone seems to think we match, I don't really want them to be right.

I walked around the Warframes, touched them all felt the material strength, but also I felt for any connection with the Warframes, surprisingly enough when I walked past the Rhino frame, I felt this small pull towards it, like this was where I belonged. When I touched it I felt a rush, my heart began to beat faster and faster, and that's when I knew it, I took my hands of the Warframe and walked out of the hall, I was making a line straight for me and Arcks quarters, I had made my choice, and I was sure Arck would approve.

I stormed into our home and actually made Arck jump a bit in surprise, and that in turn made me surprised, in the two years I have been here I have tried many times to give Arck a shock, never made it, so this time I got really curious why he jumped, I moved forward into the living room even faster than before, my curiosity driving my legs forward at a good pace, when I finally stuck my head inside the living room I instantly got the hugest grin I have ever had on my face, Arck was with someone, and not just anyone he was with Eryna, the number one ranked Banshee Warframe operator in the entire Tenno order, not to mention number one on the most wanted child partners list. When Arck saw my stupid grin he opened his mouth to say something but I beat him to it.

"Ohh I am so telling Locar about this!"

And I sprinted for the door. Those of you who don't know Locar is a Loki frame operator and tad bit annoying, the guy has a good heart he just likes his jokes a bit too much, and Arck hates him with a passion despite them actually getting along okay. But alas I didn't make it very much further than the door before Arck grabbed my color and stopped me with a choke that put me straight on the floor.

"Like hell you will tell that maniac anything! In fact you tell anyone about his and will ensure you and Sivra never have to consider having kids!"

That made me cringe, because he meant it. So I just got back up on my feet closed the door, turned around and smiled at his face. It is to be noted that this is still a hard thing to do, remember Arck is close to three meters and sixty centimeters tall, I have grown a little more since getting my DNA mixed with Arcks but not that much, twenty centimeters at most. I smiled him in the face and walked past him into the living room where I put my hand out towards Eryna.

"How are you Eryna, I am Echo, Arcks brother nice to see someone finally got into his pants, he needed it badly, perhaps now he won't take so long showers"

I saw the smile and blush on Eryna's face, she might be a top Tenno but she is still a woman and a very sensitive one at that, at least when it comes to sexual matters. But alas one joke in this house is enough to get punched, and so I did, and so I hurt my arm once again leaving it useless for a few hours while I nurse it. Amidst Arcks attempts to tell Eryna that he only spends about ten minutes in the shower, and sending murderous stares at me he finally got to asking.

"So did you pick a Warframe yet Echo?"

I practically beamed, and forgot the pain for a few minutes.

"Yup, I am going to choose the Rhino just like you brother."

Arck looked a little surprised about that, but his smile was genuine and I knew he was both happy and proud of my choice. Eryna gave me a small congratulations as well, to which I bowed as thanks, the rest of the day went with me and Arck discussion the Rhino frame, with Eryna pitching in her knowledge from a Banshee stand point, it was fun.

When Eryna finally had to get home Arck led her to the door, and as soon I knew she was just out of ear shot, I decided that one more bruise for tonight would be okay.

"So, Eryna huh? She must be quite the screamer"

I didn't even get to smile about that one, Arck grabbed me in a headlock and once again we started one of our little sparring fights where he would usually end it by sitting on me…

**6 Years later**

Arck and I walked back into the main base from the hangar, we have just been on a mission together, it was fun actually, me and my brother kicking ass and taking names. But I must say, I have had this Rhino frame for five years and I still giggle like a school girl each time I get to take it out. Arck calls me an idiot almost each time, but I ignore him, he of course doesn't know that I am living a nerd's wet dream of running around in a freaking Warframe, and a Rhino one at that. Also in the past five years I learned something, I am young, and I don't mean like Ohh he is only 28 years old that is still young. I mean as in the fact that Tenno live for close to two thousand years, and Arck himself is one thousand and thirty five, I nearly passed out when I found out that my girlfriend of four years at the time was a good nine hundred years older than me! But it is something you learn to live with. Also when I inquired about my own lifespan to Alcor, he simply told me I would most likely live to see a thousand if not a little more. I was still half human after all.

But in the last six years I have learned how to fight with my Warframe, and how to pilot one of our solo spaceships. I have also been looking into learning how to use different Warframes. Arck told me it's actually a common practice for some Tenno, who does not like to be restricted to only one frame; I liked that prospect and have since been looking into getting an extra frame. But besides that and going on missions, this is pretty much all that has happened, and as I have learned it's all that is going to happen for a long time, there is of course other things that could happen but I don't think I want to try for a child with Sivra, simply because I don't want to risk her losing a child because I am a hybrid, but alas life goes on.

**125 years later.**

"You sure you want to do this Echo? I mean I can understand with Sivra and all, but still, going to travel to edge of the known galaxy? That is one hell of a tall order, and who says you will ever come back?"

Arck is worried. He really shouldn't be. I mean it is just the edge of the galaxy, eventually I will have to turn around and come back. The Lotus is okay with me going, she seems to understand why I don't want to stick around. It has been five years since Sivra died, and I can still remember it like it was fresh, the pain of a Tenno memory, we remember everything almost perfectly as I found out when I was around seventy five. Sivra died while on a mission with me, we had found a Void key some years back, and we finally had what we needed to use it, it would not be the first time I had been on an void mission, but I had never gone with Sivra before. Arck and Eryna came along as well, Arck had joked back then it was a double date, I had shrugged him off, telling him to get his head into the mission. The years made me a bit of a cynic, but constant fighting and death will do that too you. Sivra was all that kept a little bit of my childish nature alive, and now she is gone as well. Dead, because I failed to protect her.

Eryna is looking at me worried, she has become like a sister to me since she and Arck chose to marry. It was a happy day for me really, I chose that day as well to finally move out of Arcks living quarters and get my own, funny I ended up two doors down from Sivra, she used to joke that I had made a deal with Lotus for that room, I never got to tell her she was right…  
Eryna patted my shoulder.

"You will come back you hear me? You are not leaving Sentel without his Uncle"

Sentel is my nephew, the first and so far only child between Arck and Eryna, I adore the little firecracker, and he has so much energy that you wouldn't believe it. But the time had come, I needed to leave, the conditions for leaving were perfect, we were currently behind the sun, while all other planets where on the other side, so no none would detect a single ship leaving our base. This minimized the risk of me getting followed by Grineer or Corpus. Before I entered my ship the Lotus came down to the docks to pass on her goodbye as well, and to my huge surprise she had a gift for me as well.

"Echo, you have been with us for so long now, and I thought if you are going to be away for so long as you think, you will need this."

She handed me a package, it looked inside and almost dropped the package in surprise, I almost yelled at Lotus.

"The Alpha Frame? Lotus are you insane? I can't take this, we spent seventy years just to get this far, if I take the prototype now, you could be spending hundreds of years just getting back to this point!"

What the hell is she thinking giving me the Alpha Frame? The Alpha Frame is the baby of the science division, as well the culmination of my own dream, a Warframe that held every known Warframe inside, it was constructed of billions of tiny plates that could shift around and take the form of any Warframe in existence. We spent seventy years getting this baby ready, seventy years, and I have only field tested it once, using the Rhino, Volt, Oberon and Excalibur Warframes in rapid succession. I mean it worked yeah sure; it was amazing to be able to harness every Warframes ability when I was in a pinch, but it came with one huge ass down side, for it to recharge its energy outside a normal charging station? It would need to hook up to the user, and drain them of energy, it's not quite your life it sucks, but you become tired, and fast if you try to field recharge it, but as I found out, a full night's sleep with the Warframe on, and in recharge mode will fully power it. Granted most of the time on ships or planets an energy source can be found in terminals or something, but it is still too much of a prototype for me to take it with me! But lotus wouldn't have any of it of course.

"You will take this Echo, it's an order I want you to be safe on your travels, so when you come back I expect you to be able to complete that Warframe is that clear?"

It wasn't really an order, she was just doting me because she wanted me to come back alive, I understand that feeling and accepted the Alpha-Frame, but I'll be damned if I use that thing on my travels, my Rhino frame should be more than enough.

I said my final goodbyes to everyone and boarded my ship with my "luggage" and my luggage I mean my weapons, I am going to a lot of planets after all, who knows when a good giant mace, or giant sword will come in handy? I mean they have been useful so far.

I finish loading my weapons and such into storage and then I sit down. I put in the coordinates for the planet the furthest away from the main base, and let the auto pilot start its flight. The initial flight time out of the first system does take a while, to pass the time I decide to work on a little new ability I have discovered I have, it seems going between dimension gave me a little extra something, I can do matter displacement, or if you will I can remove stuff from this dimension, but only for a short while, and the bigger the thing I try to displace, the shorter amount of time I can keep it away, I found out about this power when I mulled around at home, and I started to notice things just vanish into thin air, only to appear again a few minutes, or seconds later in the same spot as before. Following these small incidents I decided to try and control it, it took a while but eventually I managed to make small objects disappear for a few seconds, and as I kept training I could make things go away for longer, but also displace bigger and bigger objects, the ability though has its limits, I can't displace something I can't see, as well as I need to be within a specific distance of about 20 meters or so, if I am further away than that, I don't feel anything when I try to displace certain items, and since I'm going to be flying, for a year or so to get out there, and perhaps the same time to get back, then I might as well practice some more.

**4 months later**

I have been flying for four months now, and I am stopping on planets here and there, looking at the local plants and life, some of these planets have interesting species, I actually managed to find a planet that looked a hell of a lot like earth, and had about the same ecosystem too, the animals resembled early dinosaurs, so I was wondering if I had found an alternate earth, here maybe an asteroid wont wipe out the dinosaurs, who knows. But there is something that has worried me for the past few days, when I am flying, I see it again, that flicker in the world, like something comes into view in the distance and then disappears again, it is driving me mad, because as much as I think that might be a way home? I don't want to go, this is my home now, and I want it to stay that way. But as I fly into a new sector, it happens again, the entire world flicker, but this time it's stronger, I can almost feel myself pass over, but it goes away again. Out of fear I write a message on my terminal, I address it to the main base, and start writing a farewell note to my family, this time they need to know I am gone, and not live to wonder if I am ever coming back. As I finish the message and send it, it happened, one final big flicker where I could feel my entire ship and I shift over, the pressure made me pass out for a fraction of a second. But when I awoke I immediately looked outside and was confronted with my perfect memory once again, the giant space station I was looking at in front me? Yeah I knew that one, I knew all too well, it was a space station I had docked at a million times as a kid, and I began to wonder just what year it was, because if my gut feeling is right, it's around 2183, because that hulking space station there ladies and gentlemen? Is the Citadel from Mass Effect.

**A/N: Yes done! Chapter 2 ladies and gentlemen, a hell of a lot longer than chapter 1 was, but I promised we would only stay in Warframe for two chapters so here we are; Marc/Echo is nearing the citadel, and his first order of business? Figure out what year it is and whatever he wants to help Shepard fulfill her destiny, or ignore any resemblance of Canon and just fly directly to Ilos and blow the conduit sky high.**

**To those of you who wonder why the massive time skip? And the number of time skips? Because I hate training montages, I really do, it's a giant waste of time, why would you wanna read about me learning how to fight? You are gonna witness it first hand in the Mass Effect universe, and just to feed some of you, yes there will be head-butting, and removal of head plates.**

**As always leave a review if you feel like it, constructive critisism is always welcome!**

**PS: From now on "My point of view" Becomes "Marcs point of view" as Marc/Echo and I no longer share anything but name, and bad sense of humor.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Chapter 3 people. This time we see how Marc deals with his time on the citadel before Eden Prime, and he also has a little run in with everyone's favourite Terrorists!**

**Marcs point of view**

I sat back in my seat and just stared, I mean that is the bloody citadel from mass effect. I am having a really hard time making this flow together; I mean am I just getting sent around to my favourite video game worlds? Because if so, then by all means I would love to see Azeroth for a short time, maybe meet some of the key figures, and a dragon, yeah I really want to meet a dragon. I'm rambling… fuck this is too much, first my love gets taken, now I am once again removed from my family, when I get my hands on whoever did this to me? I'm going to wring his or her or its neck.

Deep breaths Echo, you can't lose your head here, you need to figure this out, I mean the mass effect world is not so bad is it? I mean I could find someplace to relax, just let it all play out and then wait for the entire reaper war to blow over. Ohh who the hell am I trying to convince? I can't stay out of this, I might be 153 years old but my inner gamer still wants to go meet Shepard, I wonder which one it is? A man or woman?

"Argh! This is not what I should worry about right now; I mean what the hell am I going to do? I can't just march onto the citadel, because a 220 cm tall completely pale human will not stick out at all, what the flying fuck am I going to do?"

I heard a small chime next to me, followed by a voice I knew quite well.

"_May I recommend putting the ship in cloak first operator Echo?"_

That was the ships VI I call her Eva, nasty piece of work if you ask me, she constantly tries to give me suggestions on things I should do, or where to go, is this how Joker feels about EDI? But she is right none the less in this context, I should enable the cloak, I would like **not** to get found by the citadel scanners before I make my plan.

"Eva, can you scan the Citadel in front of us for any potential hiding places for the ship?"

That same chime sounded that comes each time Eva speaks.

"_Scanning… Scanning complete, there is no viable permanent hiding places for this vessel, suggested action: land the ship in cloak, and then periodically change the location of the ship to reduce the chance of it being found."_

No hiding places huh? I don't like the idea of leaving the ship unattended, especially in a dimension where this tech is completely new, I mean it's a fuel less system that runs on the very particles that float around in the empty space, and solar power if it ever needs it. But I guess with Eva on board it wouldn't really be unattended, but still I don't like it.

"It seems to be the only chance we have, Eva move the ship onto the citadel. Also, can you see if you can scan their network without being caught, get the date and update me on current events."

"_Understood operator Echo, commencing approach and landing"_

I leaned back into my seat once again, this is not really an ideal situation, and I guess my best chance to get out of the public search light quickly would be to somehow join Shepard in fighting the reapers. But how am I going to get him or her to let me join? Saving Tali maybe? Or doctor Michel, either one works. But first I have to consider the fact that I will stand out like a sore thumb in there, with my Rhino frame on I boast a towering 245 cm in this dimension that is the same bloody height as most elcor, perhaps I should just go as I am? I mean what difference does it make, for all I know they will all just think I am some crazy human who decided to get myself paled… great I'm considering masking as 2183 hipsters, urgh might as well shoot myself…

"_Docking complete, upon exit you will arrive in the upper levels of the area called "The Presidium" also, the date is 2182, it would seem there is too many recent events for me to update you on all of them, is there any specific ones you seek operator Echo?"_

2182? I got a year until Mass Effect 1 even starts? Fuck me, might as well find something to do then, hehe maybe I should fly to the Illusive Mans base and give him the shock of his life, but then again, that would be terribly boring now wouldn't it, I mean he could move his base after that, and then that would fuck up the story even more so, but then again I am already here so some things are going to change.

Is there anything I would actually want to spend a full year on? Hmm back home on earth I would always think about making a serum to work with a quarian to allow them to live outside their suits, but then again that would take me way more than a single year, perhaps once Mass Effect 1 is done, and Shepard is dead I will give myself the time. For now let's settle on getting information on the commander.

"Eva, find all you can about Commander Shepard"

"_Understood, searching… Commander Jane Montez Shepard, grew up on various spaceships due to her parents constant reassignment, later in life Commander Shepard became a decorated Alliance Commander, during the attack on the human colony known as "Elysium", Commander Shepard single handled held back the invading Batarian forces, this earned her the "Star of Terra" medal as well as many commendations from her superiors, do you wish further information operator Echo?"_

"No that is fine Eva, thank you."

So we got a FemShep on our hands huh? And "Montez?" I didn't know she had a middle name, but I guess you learn something new every day. I wonder how she looks, but all in due time, for now I have to focus on what I will do for a full year until the attack on Eden Prime, hmm should I participate in that? That would be a good way to get on board the Normandy, but it could also easily ensure that I mess something up, that aside I really don't want to go to Eden Prime and wait for a full year. For now, I should get off this ship and explore the citadel.

Getting up from my chair and looking down, I notice that my clothes might be just a bit conspicuous, common Tenno clothes is after all not that much like Mass Effect clothes, I guess I am swinging by a clothes store as well. But to buy stuff I will need Credits, and to get credits I will need an Omni-Tool, and getting one of those comes from one of two ways, either I buy one, which again cost credits, so it isn't going to be that choice, I guess plan b it is, I am stealing one. Finding some poor Batarian bastard who thinks I am an easy target should be a simple task, moving over to my storage area I look at my weapons and try to decide which one is the best to bring with me, eventually I settle on my Ether Sword.

Stepping off my cloaked ship, I immediately take in where I am, it seems to indeed be the upper parts of the presidium, to be more specific? A roof, yup Eva planted me on a roof, I really need to upgrade her to an AI somehow, and she really needs to start learning some things. Crawling down from my little roof I spot an alley that is perfect as a drop point, I semi-run over to the edge of the roof and look down, ten meters nothing more, and with a wall to rebound off I should be able to make the jump without taking any severe damage, so off the roof we go!

I impact the wall opposite to me and use it to slide down for half a second until I set off, lowering my speed even more and then landing on the ground with quite the audible thump, but I feel none the less worse for wear, so everything went according to plan. I poke my head out of the alley and look around, I stare for quite a while, watching Turaians, Salarians, Asari and Quarians walk around, it is really a sight to behold, I also catch a glimpse of a few Krogan, and my god they look like a living Rhino frame once you get to see them in reality, and then I see my first one, a human and immediately feel my heart start racing, I can feel the sting in my eyes again as I retreat into the alley once more, once I am sure no one can hear me, I let out a small whimper, after 153 years I finally see another human again, I can barely believe my eyes, earth… oh my god Earth! It's here, I can go there I can see it again maybe; just maybe I can find something about where I used to live, just maybe. Wiping the small tears from my eyes I lift myself up, and slowly walk out of the alley, and as expected upon first seeing me most people turn their heads and look at me once they walk by, but okay, you look at someone who stands about just as tall as a Krogan, looks human and is completely pale, even you would do a double take.

Making my way down the streets of the Presidium I look at all the stores, there are tons of clothing stores, electronic stores, Souvenir stores and everything in between, I must say I am impressed. I eventually find myself down in the wards, just as planned. Walking around down here it is no surprise why people get robbed and killed all the time, I can barely see any C-sec presence here, and the ones I do see, I can almost guarantee you is corrupt. I start noticing more and more glances coming my way and not the good kind, my plan to steal an omni-tool might not be so far off.

I slowly slip into a closed alley and ensure that whoever I trap and ambush in here will not get out, I hear footsteps outside the alley, just to be safe I position myself in the dark part of the alley out of sight for anyone who enters, while waiting I unseath my Ether sword and look it over, it seems to be in decent condition, for having survived inter dimensional travel, I weigh it a little in my hands, it is still perfectly balanced, I wonder how the Ether edge will react to the armour types in the mass effect universe, hopefully the same way it reacts to Grineer plating. When I look up I see two batarians come into the alley with their guns drawn, they must have finally decided to come in here and see why I haven't come back out, big mistake boys.

As the two batarians start looking around inside the shadows with their flashlights I took a striking position, it was a fairly standard thrusting position, my plan was to impale the one Batarian through the heart then use him as cover for the eventual shots from the other one. As the closest batarians flashlight fell on my pale face I thrust forward, an audible splurging sound could be heard as my ether blade ate through his armour without problems; it seems shields are not build to stop a sword coming your way. The batarian didn't even get to make a sound, his mouth just fell open as he slumped against my form, and just as predicted his friend fired shots in my general direction, too bad for him that his friends corpse makes such a fine shield, as soon as I heard him stop firing I threw the corpse at him, as he backed away to dodge the flying carcass I once more sped forward and with another thrust my blade went through its second batarian and its second batarian kill, once more that sound could be heard.

I didn't feel anything after killing those two, by all accounts they intended to rob, and hurt or kill me, so self-defence is really all this was even though it might have been pre mature self-defence. I scanned over the carcass and looked at their wrists, and indeed there was an omni-tool ready for the taking, I pried the little device of his arm and placed it on my own. Slowly I felt the omni-tool connecting with my body and reading its data, as the familiar orange glove appeared around my arm I looked at the screen it presented, where it clearly stated I was human. I guess omni-tools wouldn't know what a Tenno was, so for all I know it just took whatever DNA it understood and went with it, and to my utter surprise the entire omni-tool had been converted to an English setting, which I of course did not complain about, it was nice reading English again after all these years of reading Tenno glyphs.

It took a good few hours of me just sitting around and messing with the omni-tool until I finally learned how to use it properly, but that didn't really amount to much other than me finding the credit balance of the last person who owned it, which would be the dead batarian about four metres from me right now, the bastard was poor, he only had three thousand credits too his name, then again he might be rich for all I know, I don't know the currency balance on the citadel. Eventually I got up and left, I retreated back to my ship, and after I got inside my temporary home I connected the second batarians omni-tool to Eva.

"Eva, can you scan this and take whatever useful data you can, transfer any credits to my current omni-tool, and also find a way to integrate the omni-tool into the rhino frame, as well as the Alpha-frame."

"_Understood operator Echo"_

Sighing I leaned back in my chair and dosed off, this had been one hell of a first day in the Mass Effect universe, but even I have to sleep now and again.

**Next day**

I awoke to the sound of Eva.

"_Operator Echo, the omni-tool has been scanned, all useful Intel has been transferred to your omni-tool as well as the "credits" from the scanned omni-tool, and your total balance is now ten thousand credits. Integrating the omni-tool with the Rhino and Alpha-frames will take a little while longer, as there is a lot of data to process."_

I nodded at the terminal and smiled a little, I guess ten thousand isn't a bad starting point, remind myself to program something to steal credits of dead guys' omni-tools. I set out once again into the Presidium and went around for a while, the stares where there again, but it can't be helped, everyone is curious. I finally found a human clothing store, upon entering I saw a small timid human woman behind the counter, and she had a warm smile on her face and looked happy to have a customer.

"Hello sir! How can I help you to…"

She flinched for a second when she saw how pale I actually was, and as if on reflex her mouth reacted before her brain.

"Why are you so pale?!"

She blushed immediately and bowed and apologised to me, I merely nodded at her apology and smiled.

"I need a new set of clothes, if you have something fitting a rather tall person as myself."

Her blush was still ever present, but she smiled none the less, and directed me towards a part of the shop that held clothes for us larger individuals, it seems in the years they have progressed in this world most clothing designers realised that some of us need extra-long clothes. To my great joy I found a black and grey set of clothes that fit me perfectly, as I looked at the price I realised it said eight thousand credits, it did make me think a bit, but I needed clothes to better fit in, and these were the only set I liked. I paid for the clothes, thanked her and listened to her apologize again as I left.

**8 Months until Eden Prime**

So I have been on the citadel for a good two months now, I haven't been doing much really, going out and around does cause a lot of looks, so I try to stick to my ship, I have on the other hand been a trip down to Dr. Michels clinic, she is a good person as one would have thought, she was also very concerned about my skin colour, but when I told her it was genetic, and unfixable, but in no way dangerous to myself or others she seemed to relax. I have been trying to think of a way to make some credits, perhaps get an actual apartment here on the citadel, but the more days that pass me the less I like the idea, I mean if I get an apartment two months before Eden Prime, then what was the point really?

I have considered mercenary work, but with the way mercs are treated around here? I'd rather not take the chance. There is however a guns manufacturer down in the wards, a salarian, he seems like he needs someone to help him out down there, perhaps that is a rather modest way to spend my time, that way I would also learn my way around the guns from this universe, which I imagine can only be a positive thing.

Making my way to the shop was not difficult, it's a rather obvious joint with a large sign outside saying "Trecks Weapons", as one might guess, the salarians name is Treck. As I walked inside Treck saw me immediately, he waved me over.

"Ahh Echo, it is good to see you again, are you here for that job opening?"

I smiled and nodded

"Indeed, so can you go over the times and pay again for me?

Treck beamed at this, either no one else would want to the job, or simply it could be no one walked into the store.

"Of course! The pay is 3000 Credits per week; you will work standard hours, is that acceptable?"

I merely nodded letting him know I was fine with his terms, I mean I didn't really have a choice, currently I am living in my cloaked spaceship with just enough provision to last me about a month more or so.

"Excellent, you can start tomorrow!"

I thanked him and walked out of the store, I decided to head home and just go through some more files, as well as rack my memory of the Mass Effect games, might as well see how much I actually remember.

**7 Months until Eden Prime**

A month of work for Treck, and I must say working here really isn't all that bad, the customers can be rude as all hell, but Treck deals with most of them, I just sit in the back and fix the guns and what else the various clientele brings into this shop. Though today I am standing out front, Treck needed to go see a special client, so he asked me to watch the front until he came back, not a big thing but it shows he has at least some trust in me.

After a while I could hear loud footsteps from outside the shop, and a second later a giant Krogan dressed in all too familiar red armour walked in, unless my memory failed me, and it never does, that is Urdnot Wrex mercenary badass and the toughest damn Krogan you will ever meet. I must admit coming face to face with Wrex himself is a bit intimidating, even in my work attire I am still a little taller than him though. As he reaches the desk he simply plants a broken shotgun on the desk and speaks.

"I need this shotgun fixed; it broke when I decided to break the skull of a Turian with the front end of it."

I just looked perplexed at Wrex, mostly because he was Wrex, but also since he just told me he bashed a Turians skull in with the muzzle of his shotgun, I got the distinct feeling he pulled the trigger while the shotgun was still inside the head, because this muzzle is broken from the inside out, some of the Turians brain must have clogged the shotgun. Eventually Wrex got a look at my face, and unsurprising he had a comment to give.

"What the hell happened to your ugly mug human?"

A big part of me wanted to lean backwards and head-butt Wrex right on the head plate and just knock him on his ass, but I also knew doing that would only raise a lot of questions, and perhaps cost Treck his shop, I wouldn't want it destroyed on my watch. So I just settled for the established lie.

"It's a skin condition"

Wrex snorted and I could have sworn I head him call me "weak" along with the snort, he most likely did. I took his shotgun out back and started working on it, it was a two hour project, replacing the muzzle+ of a shotgun is not hard, but when we are talking a Krogan shotgun? That is an entirely different beast, these things have extra weight, use a different material from your standard issue shotgun, and have a specialized cooling system attached, but Treck keeps spare parts for everything lying around in his shop, so I didn't lack for materials at least.

As I brought Wrex his shotgun he simply paid for the repair and then walked back out with that all too familiar frown on his face. When Treck came back and asked for a report I simply gave it to him, he asked me multiple times if I had offended Wrex in any way, apparently this was not the first time Wrex had been in the shop, nor would it have been the first time he has wrecked it had he done so.

**3 Months until Eden Prime**

It has been so long since I arrived, every day I am thinking about Eden Prime now; I just can't stop wondering about it, why hasn't it happened yet? Did I really hit that early in 2182? But Eden Prime is not my real concern these days, to my utmost surprise a few months ago I noticed a human talking a stroll along the presidium, but soon I noticed he walked in circles, the same pattern over and over again, eventually I started observing him, and the more I watched the more obvious it became, he was looking for something, or someone. I kept going back to that same part of the presidium just to see if he was still showing and he was, each day without fail he would show, walk around for something around an hour, and then just silently go back the way he arrived. I started getting really suspicious when I heard him asking someone if they had seen any "strange" people lately, as much as I want to say it is, asking someone if they have seen someone "strange", is not really the best conversation opener, or something you would ask on a regular basis.

After a good two months of me watching and tailing this guy I eventually found out who he was working for, how did I find this out? Simple really. I followed him around the Presidium like usual and then when he went off towards his return destination, I followed him back there, and it was there I saw who his contact was, and let me tell you, even if I didn't have my perfect memory the body of Miranda Lawson is definitely not one you forget. Say all you want about me being sleazy, but Miranda still has one hell of a body, but the main problem with Miranda being here was that if she was here, so was Cerberus and I really don't want to deal with TIM this early on, as much as I would love to tell him off, I got to remain hidden.

In the days that followed I would listen in on the man's conversation with Miranda, they would always refer to someone as the "target", it was not until a few weeks ago I finally found out who the target was, and to my mild surprise it was me. It seems Cerberus managed to get a whiff about me somehow, but to be honest I am only a little surprised, and that surprise comes from them not being here earlier, I mean I have been here on the citadel for about five months now, and not until recently did someone report a two meter, twenty centimeter, pale human walking around? It seemed fishy to me, so for the last few weeks I have slowly been changing my target from the guy I used to follow to miss Lawson herself, I am trying to find out where I can get her alone, I need to catch this before it blows out of proportion, if Cerberus begins actively hunting for me I could jeopardize the mission for Shepard if I get on her crew.

And today might be my lucky day, I have taken notice that Miss Lawson always retreats to a luxury pent house late of night once a week, and as far as I have been able to gather, she is always alone. Something tells me that even miss perfect needs some time to just unwind and simply spend a day lying around in bed; lord knows I miss doing that. So that is where I am heading right now, in full rhino getup I might add, I got to say jumping around roofs in this hulk of an armor isn't easy, but then again if you want to make a lasting impression you got to work for it.

Arriving at the complex where the penthouse is I look around a bit first, get a feel for the security. First thing I will have to do is knock out any recording devices or video cameras inside that penthouse, I guess a controlled release of some of the Rhino frames energy reserves would serve as a decent EMP replacement. Now the real problem is getting up to the penthouse, for good reasons I can't just walk in through the front door and use the elevator. Hmm I guess the best way would be simply climbing the damn building, but do I really want to leave such a visible trail behind?

As I was thinking things through a sky car shot over my head at an alarming speed, quickly followed by three C-sec cars, you just can't get a moment to think before some maniac decides to steal a sky car and do a little flyby… hmm sky cars? That would leave no trail and using one of the automated ones would make for an easy escape route, I could simply have Eva take control of the sky car… This is about a good a plan as I am going to come up with. Climbing back down from the roof I was on, I found a nearby sky car that was waiting for a "customer", while I approached the car I contacted Eva.

"Eva, I am going to link you to this sky car, you think you can take control over it for a good two hours or so?"

"_Of course operator Echo, that is a simple task, simply connect me to the terminal inside the car and I will have it under control"_

Smiling behind my helmet I slid into the car and closed the door, I then connected Eva to the Sky car and off we went. Flying up the penthouse was really no problem for Eva it seems, I guess most spaceships are alike, no matter if it's a sky car or a Tenno spaceship. Eva dropped me off on the giant porch that belonged to the penthouse, then she piloted the sky car just out of sight and hid it somewhere it could easily reach me again for extraction. So now comes the fun bit, going inside the penthouse and giving Miss Lawson the surprise of a lifetime. As I walked up to the penthouse I noticed the door to the porch was actually open, I guess Miranda decided she needed some fresh air inside the apartment, oh well all the better for me I guess. Walking inside I could hear the shower running, good this gives me time to look around a bit first. The entire penthouse is extremely clean, not a single thing out of place, and not a speck of dust to be found anywhere, Miranda really is a perfectionist, well I guess it's time for a little EMP action. I simply release a bit of the suits energy without activating any of the Rhino's abilities and let the following pulse of energy fry any electrical device inside the apartment. Then I heard the shower stop, and suddenly I realized that the entire freaking apartment is electric, just about everything has just been shut down, for all I know all that is left is the bed, and perhaps some of the cabinets, and just to add a bit to my annoyance I heard a voice calling from the shower

"What the hell happened to the shower?!"

She sounded angry, I really hope she doesn't have shampoo in her hair; I would rather not face that right now. I could hear Miranda getting out of the shower and drying herself off, or at least that is what I am hoping she is doing right now. As I stand around and wait inside the living room I look around and look at the pictures, a lot of pictures really, not one of Miranda herself though, I am not even sure she is related to any of these people. A few silent footsteps behind me let me know that Miranda had entered the living room, before she even had a chance to speak or I to turn around for that matter I decided to start the conversation.

"So Miss Lawson, I hear you have been looking around for me these last few months?"

The footsteps halted, I guess I caught her a little off guard with that comment, but all credit to Miss Lawson her reply was stern and proud.

"If you are the pale human we have been hearing about then yes, we have been looking for you for quite a while, I must ask though, what made you deliver yourself right into our hands now?"

Upon hearing those words I actually let out a little chuckle, funny I haven't been close to laughing for years now, I guess the absurdity of the situation finally decided to kick in. Oh well might as well humor her for a little.

"I don't know Miss Lawson, I guess I was getting tired of looking at that rather ugly fellow you sent to patrol the presidium these last few months, and he is ruining the perfectly good view"

I finally turned around and had myself a look at Miranda, and had it not been for years of discipline and training, I would most likely have gone stiff and completely forgotten everything for a few seconds, because Miss Lawson had decided to join me in the living room, clad in only a towel… and still wet… and I am really starting to question my motives right now. Finally wrestling my eyes away from the body and looking at the face I notice the surprise, I guess she was expecting a face, not a helmet.

"That is quite the piece of armor you got there, I am sure my employer would appreciate a better look at it, along with a nice little chat with you."

There she is! The Cerberus bitch we all know and love. Maybe I should just drop the TIM bomb now and be done with it? He is the one I need to talk to under all circumstances, so yeah I think that is what I am going to do.

"Listen Miss Lawson, I am sure the Illusive Man would love to have a little look at my armor, but sadly that is just not going to happened, but I will however take that chat with him, now that you are offering one."

The shock was evident on Miranda's face, she was not expecting me to know who she was working for, but then again she prides herself in being perfect, she properly thought that her cover was so perfect that I would never guess. The reply that eventually made its way out of Miranda's mouth was quite cold.

"So you know who I work for, I am impressed, not many people find out that sort of information. But I am afraid that I cannot let you have a friendly "chat" with the Illusive Man unless you are heavily restrained and stripped of that armor"

So she is keeping up the bitch act huh? You know what I am getting really bored of this entire situation, I would like to stop Mr. Harper from messing with my life any further now please. Releasing an even smaller amount of energy then before, I make the smallest of Rhino Charges towards Miranda, pinning her against the wall, I got my arm at her throat to keep her silent until I am done speaking.

"Now listen here Miranda Lawson, you will arrange a holocall to your boss this instant, or you will find yourself in the very unfortunate position of having to find out how to use biotics without a beating heart. And just in case that is not going to convince you, well then I guess I will just go ahead and mention to your father where Orianna is hiding out."

That last bit made her pale, and suddenly she started squirming and swinging whatever free limbs she had around in an attempt to break free, all the while screaming like a banshee.

"You will not tell anyone about Orianna, or I will kill you where you stand! Get off me; I will get you for this! Argh release me!"

The screaming was getting dampened by my helmet, but she was still going on about Orianna, I guess it is time for the showstopper; I put my hand over her mouth and in a cold and murderous tone that has been perfected over a few decades muttered.

"You will stop fighting and shut the hell up, or I won't bother telling your father, I will simply go get Orianna, bring her here and then execute her in front of you! Is that clear Miss Lawson!?"

Finally she shut up and stopped fighting; she then started to sob quietly and just nodded her head in understanding. Good grief that woman is emotionally unbalanced, no wonder so many people back on earth thought she would be the perfect fuck buddy for Jack, they match up in emotional trauma that's for sure. Eventually Miranda stopped crying and let me into a different room with a large table inside, I recognized the shape and size, it's the same kind of holo projector that is used on the Normandy SR-2.

The table sank into the floor and Miranda got inside the little square as the call began, instantly you could hear the smooth voice of the Illusive Man.

"Miranda, this is an unusual time for you to call, I thought this was your night off? And why are you only wearing a towel?"

That was about all I needed from Miranda, without making a sound I applied a strike to the back of her neck which caused her to fall forward completely blacked out. I moved her body outside the communicator's range, no need for the Illusive Man to focus on two things right? I stepped fully into the holo projector and finally laid eyes on the illusive man, there he was sitting in his suit with a smoke, I must say the man is a little more intimidating in real life, he carries quite the aura around him, much like the Lotus it demands respect. I guess he got tired of me just staring at him.

"You must be the pale human that we got a few reports about"

I removed my helmet and placed it on the ground, allowing Mr. Harper to see my face, he seemed indifferent about my looks really.

"That is quite the look you have going, I must say I have never seen anything like that before in my life."

I smirked, Ohh you are not going to like this next sentence Timmy.

"I guess not Jack, I mean you have lived for a few years indeed, but you always see new and interesting things."

The scowl on his face was priceless; it took so much of my discipline to not outright laugh him in the face as he looked at me with a newfound hatred in his eyes.

"How do you know that name?"

I smiled again and duly replied.

"I know a lot of things Mr. Harper, and one of the things I know is that I like to be left alone, so how about this Jack? I leave you Cerberus types alone, I won't interfere with anything you do, none of the stupid experiments I know you got going on; I won't mess with any of them. All of this for you simply leaving me and everything to do with me alone."

The scowl intensified, and I could see it in his eyes, he was going to refuse me, he is probably thinking that he can beat me in some way; I beat him to the punch.

"Ahh and if you don't want to honor this agreement, then by all means refuse me, and in return the Council, and the Alliance will tomorrow have a nice report lying on their desks labeled "The Illusive Man: Everything you need to know about Cerberus", and in there will be every little piece of knowledge I have about Cerberus, so unless you want the entire fleet of the council knocking at your front door, I suggest you take my deal."

The defiant look turned passive, either he stopped caring or gave up.

"So if I understand this correct, I stop having you followed and investigated, and you will not interfere with any Cerberus missions?"

I smiled.

"That is correct Mr. Harper, should Cerberus however stand in the way of me achieving my goals, and then I will have no choice but to destroy the individual cells that decides to stand in my way."

Jack Harper started thinking long and hard about this, that much I could see. Eventually he looked up at me and with a slight scowl on his face talked.

"Fine, your arrangement is not what I had hoped for from this encounter, but I guess it is the best I will get from you."

A little flare lit in my mind, I guess I still have some anger towards Cerberus left.

"You mean you had hoped I would sign up with Cerberus to do your bidding? Get real Jack, I would never work with terrorist, no matter how much you believe you are doing this for the best of humanity, I know that all of this is just you trying to save your own ass. Well it has been nice talking to you, oh by the way, do you mind telling Miranda when she wakes that I do apologies for all the broken surveillance equipment in her expensive condo here. Ta ta!"

I smashed my hand down on the disconnect button. God damnit that man really gets your blood boiling, his arrogance is almost baffling. But now TIM is hopefully out of the picture for a while, and should he decide to keep sending agents after me, I guess I will just start sending him body bags. I walked out on the porch again and simply called for Eva and my ride, she was there in a few minutes, and then it was off to put back the sky car, and then home to the ship and get a good night's sleep, hopefully I will have some dreams tonight, and not another dreamless night.

**1 Month until Eden Prime**

So two months have come and gone, The Illusive Man didn't seem to get the hint from our little conversation, I still found Cerberus idiots sniffing around. I cornered each of them and "asked" them to identify their target and their mission, each one I interrogated all said the same thing "You are the target, we are to follow and observe nothing more", and after each answer I would apologize to them, and tell them that in the next life they can thank their boss for sending them in to die, then I would break their neck without mercy and without causing them any pain. Six body bags had to be sent to The Illusive Man until he realized it doesn't matter how well he thinks he hid his agents, I will always spot them and they will all die. But I think TIM got the message now, at least there have been no more Cerberus people after me since the sixth guy.

But TIM really is low on my list right now, mostly because I have this bad feeling now, like something big is coming and there is nothing I can do to stop it, I have only felt this a few times before, and usually it would end with me having to return home to the Lotus with a broken Warframe, minimum of two dead comrades and another spook story about the Stalker. I wonder what happened to him actually? He sort of vanished a good thirty years ago, just upped and went, nobody have seen him since the last report, he appeared and did his usual thing, but as the three Tenno from the mission informed us, right before he was about to deal a lethal strike against one of them, he stopped. Just stopped and stood there, then slowly he withdrew his blade and placed it on his back, then he disappeared with the cryptic words "I don't remember", what the hell could he have forgotten? I mean the guy have always seemed hell bent on killing every Tenno alive, I mean Arck told me he had been around since he could remember, whatever.

I am walking around the presidium now, it's strange really, after all these months of me just walking on these same streets a lot of the stares have worn off, at least from all the none-human species, most humans still do a double take, but every Turian, Asari, Salarian and Krogan I meet doesn't even look after me anymore, it's great really, I have even started talking with some of the other shopkeepers around Trecks shop. Today I am however roaming a bit around the consorts champers, I was actually considering going in and getting an appointment, but I am not really in the mood to either sleep with an Asari, or get my mind read for that matter.

I walked by a few shops and looked at the people doing their shopping, it all seems so peaceful, and in a few months this entire place is going to be razed to the ground by Geth and a Reaper, ohh joy… Hallo, this is Barla Vons shop, he works for the good old Shadow Broker… ohh shit, I completely let the Shadow Broker out of my mind, ohh for fucks sake, I should really do something about him, but what good would that do me? Hah, do I really want to deal with this so close to Eden Prime (I hope) or should I just delay it? I mean Shepard and Liara is going to kick his ass in ME2 anyway, so I shouldn't really have to deal with it. Hmm perhaps an agreement with him would be best? I give him information from time to time, and he in turn leaves me be, or perhaps an equal trade of information would work… Well no sense in wondering lets go have a little conversation with Mr. Von.

Walking into his shop I noticed it was very modest, I guess he doesn't really want to advocate being powerful in any way, but then again how much power, can a Shadow Broker agent have? And there he is Barla Von himself, small round and wheezing, but he is a Volus so it is to be expected, he sees me and nods in my direction.

"Ahh I was wondering when you were going to show up Mr. Echo, my employer have been wanting a talk with you for quite a while, but you are a hard man to track. Not even your boss Treck seemed to know where you go once you are done with your work."

Shit that stupid Yahg already knows about me? He is really resourceful, but then again he does have contacts in Cerberus and everywhere else, so why wouldn't he know?

"I see the Shadow Broker has already done some research on me, I should have expected nothing less, and since I haven't had a full battalion of mercenaries try to kill me over the last few months, I must assume he has no outstanding problem with me?"

Barla Von simply nodded.

"Indeed, the Shadow Broker has no problem with you, so far all you have done is working in a gun shop after all, and had a little run in with Cerberus, neither thing concerns the Shadow Broker. He is however interested in knowing about you. You see he has never seen or heard of a human quite like you, with such pale skin and above average height. I don't suppose I could convince you to give me some of that information to give him?"

Well at least he asks before adding a threat.

"Nooope, I will tell the Shadow Broker absolutely ass about myself. But thanks for asking at least, that is so much more than the Illusive Man did."

I could hear Barla Von sighing behind a wheeze.

"That is unfortunate. I don't suppose any amount of credits could make you reconsider either?" I shook my head. "I guessed as much, well Mr. Echo, you are a unique enigma that my boss has been able to find no data on, besides the little amount I have already revealed to you. He would like to at least then just extend a greeting to you. As well as the usual statement that if you get in the way of his business you will be removed"

I will be removed? Yeah fat chance, but at least the Shadow Broker is somewhat polite. I guess I should at least give them a little, just not about myself.

"Well Mr. Von, you can pass a message along to your boss for me then." He looked at me and then nodded "Good, tell him that I appreciate the warning, but also tell him just one word, along with the message "I know", and the word is "Yahg", that will be all, have a nice day Mr. Von"

I turned and walked out the shop, this is going to come back and bite me in the ass so hard, I just know it, but really could you resist a chance to give the finger to the one person in the universe who puts so much pride in being unknown?

**Day of Eden Prime**

I am getting really paranoid now, in the last few days I have not been able to focus, I fumble around the shop, can't seem to answer a simple question anymore, I am really starting to wonder just how long until Eden Prime, I mean I arrived eight months ago to the date. Fuck, maybe I should take a walk and clear my head, go down to the bar and grab a few, mess with some Krogan and drink a full bottle of Ryncol again, shit that was a great way to spend the night.

Walking down the streets of the Presidium I notice a lot of people seem to gather around the news screens, did some politician get assassinated **again**? I walk over to the horde of people, and as I glance at the screen only three words register before my mind goes into overdrive "Eden Prime Attacked!" So it has begun, I wonder how long until Shepard gets here? I should go retrieve the Rhino and prep the ship for launch, also I think I am going to save Dr. Michel, I'll deal with explaining why I was there another time.

As I turn to walk away from the screen the news reporter says something that makes me burst into full sprint "Gunshots fired in Chora's Den in the Wards" fuck, fuck, fuck, FUCK! She is already here, and more over Dr. Michel is already saved, I need to get to Tali before Shepard! I almost fly into the ship and instantly start putting on the Rhino frame.

"_Operator Echo, what is the hurry?"_

Hurry, hurry, hurry.

"It started Eva, now it all begins; prep the ship for launch upon my return or command!"

"_Understood Operator Echo, beginning launch preparation"_

I dart out of the ship again, good thing I parked the ship so close to the wards entrance this time around, I just hope I am not too late. As I enter the Wards I can hear still hear gunfire coming from Chora's Den, I guess Shepard is fighting her way out right now, good that means I should get to Tali first. As I run I realize that in my hurry I didn't grab my Soma! Oh crap, I guess I am doing this barehanded. I round the last corner and look down the ramp, instantly I notice I arrived from the other side of the ramp, and as I look towards the other end, Shepard and her crew comes into sight, only problem? That Turian that was supposed to get the info from Tali, is holding a gun to her head. I take off in a sprint, Shepard seems to notice as she orders Garrus to set up for a sniper shot, I sure hope he isn't planning on firing that thing in my direction. As I get within range of the Turian I release a huge burst of energy and Rhino Charge the poor idiot, I hit him with full force into his side, I could hear the bones breaking as my shoulder impacted with his, poor guy a rhino frame is not the funniest thing to get tackled by.

Suddenly I hear a loud boom and turn around to the exploding head of one of the Salarian mercs, the other one is too stunned to act, so I do it for him. I grab him by the throat and simply use raw strength to crush his neck. I dropped the Salarian and looked towards Shepard who was coming down the ramp with guns drawn, and aimed at me to boot. This is not good, but as she gets closer I get a good look at her, she looks like a carbon copy of the ME3 standard Shepard, same beautiful red flowing hair, and the same piercing green eyes, she stop a little away from me.

"I am Commander Shepard of the Alliance, who are you?"

Ookay I think shit might just have hit the fan…

**A/N: Chapter 3! And a cliffhanger! I think it is at least. Well people I hope you enjoyed this, and now we are officially done with the whole prologue and intro, now all this is left is Mass Effect goodness, and altered events. I am going to follow the story to the best of my ability, but don't shoot me if I decide to take a little artistic freedom with certain events. Also I know some of you might not agree with my choice to reveal Marc to both Cerberus and the Shadow Broker, but that is my choice, the Shadow Broker is not going to stick his nose into Marc too much, right now he just wants info. TIM might get a little aggressive, it was after all quite the threat that was dumped on him, and who knows a few Cerberus logos might show up in unexpected places.**

**Next chapter it all takes off! Shepard becomes a spectre and Marc gets to explain why he just saved Tali woop de fucking do!**

**Please leave a review, as always any constructive criticism is appreciated.**

**Also a little shoutout to ****Calrama**** for one hell of a review, thanks mate. But of course also a huge thanks to everyone else who has left a review! **


	4. Chapter 4

**Marc's point of view**

Shit this is not ideal, Shepard and the crew pointing guns in my direction, yeah this is great… Wrex is going to shoot, that I know I just need to flinch and he pulls the trigger. The rest I am not so sure of, I could engage Iron Skin and just try and withstand the onslaught of fire, but explaining my way out of this one is tricky. Perhaps appealing to Tali would be beneficial? I did just help save her life, but that does not change the fact that I am standing in full Rhino Armor, and have just killed two people. Whatever I am going to do it has got to be done fast.

"I asked who you are."

Yeah, yeah Shepard, I heard you I am just trying to figure out how the hell to answer that? Partial truth again? A full lie or maybe just a lot of random things? Dammit I should have planned this better! Fuck, for now I guess I'll just go with the usual.

"You can call me Echo if you need to call me anything."

Let us see if Wrex reacts to this… Nothing, I guess I he really didn't care much for who I am. Shepard looks a little pissed, I guess that was not the answer she was going for.

"I did not ask for your call sign, what is your **name**?"

"That is of no concern to you **Jane**, I do not wish to give you my name as of yet, and does it really matter, I must highly assume that since you came for the Quarian here" I nodded at Tali "That you must be after the information she has on Saren as well."

Shepard looked a little confused, either from me knowing about Saren or knowing her name, but I don't really care right now. I just have to skirt around myself and shift the focus back to Tali so that we can get on with this.

"You know about Saren? What is your angle on this then? Because you are not a Spectre, and you are sure as hell not from any military I know of."

Ahh correct Shepard, I am not from any known military. But you don't need to know that.

"Saren did something stupid; I seek to punish him for his idiocy, as well as ensuring that shit like Eden Prime does not repeat itself."

If memory serves, Shepard is really loose about how she lets everyone join her squad, perhaps disliking Saren is enough to get me on board. Shepard seems to ignore me and turns towards Tali.

"Are you alright?"

I guess she needs to concern herself with Tali as well, I mean she is the important part of this.

"I am fine, thanks to you. I don't know what would have happened, if you had not showed up. And thanks to you to Echo was it? You did tackle the Turian before he had a chance to shoot me after all."

Huh, Tali coming to my defense, that is surprising, I would have expected her to completely forget that I helped, but then again having five people pointing guns at the same person, might skewer a bit with your idea of said individual. And before I seem like more of an ass, maybe I should answer Tali.

"It was my pleasure; it is not every day I get to tackle turians with full force. It really is a shame, their bones does make a decent sound when they pulverize"

I saw Wrex smile and grunt at that comment, I know it is a bit morbid, but when you have been fighting for as long as I have, you begin to see the enjoyment in the most morbid of things. I mean I can find good fun in talking with people about the odd sounds people make when they get stabbed. But even though Wrex smile, I saw Garrus flinch slightly, Ashley and Kaiden looked a little sick, and Shepard looked at me look I was an idiot… Starting of good aren't we?

"As much fun as we could have standing here talking about the sound of breaking bones, I would rather get on with our mission Shepard. Do you have the information we need miss?"

Garrus finally decided to join in! Great, he sounds every bit as awesome as I remember, I do hope I can make good friends with him, then again doesn't he just get lost in his calibration instantly? If he does I guess all there is to do is simply let him be and let the universe go its course.

"Tali'Zora nar rayya, and yes I have the recording right here, but I don't think we should play it here, do you have somewhere safe for us to go?"

Shepard nodded and gestured behind her.

"I bet Anderson and Udina would like to hear this as well, so we might as well get to the embassy and listen to it when everyone is gathered."

I guess that is it, either Shepard invites me along now, or I am royally fucked and then I need to find a different way to help her. Looking over the squad standing here, a wave of nostalgia and pride washes over me, I mean this is **the** **team**, the one and only ground team from the Normandy, these guys are going to topple sovereign and Saren and just looking at them fills me with pride, it's incredible to think that such a diverse amount of people can set aside their differences to serve a greater cause.

I see Shepard turn and leave with the team and I guess I just didn't make the cut, oh well no reason to get to down over it, I guess I'll regroup to my ship and find some other mission to interfere in, maybe I should stick my head in on Liara's recruitment mission, I mean if I was standing there with Liara, ready and set to leave when they arrived, Shepard might reconsider taking me with her, but planning can wait until I get back to my ship and relax for a few hours, Shepard does still need to go through the whole Spectre thing before she even gets back to the Normandy. As I start to walk back the way I came, I heard Shepard's voice behind me.

"Echo! Where the hell do you think you are going?!"

Ehh back to my ship? I mean you didn't want me on your team right, surely that is why you didn't speak at all before leaving; you couldn't just expect me to follow her on a whim? Or maybe she can, this is Shepard we are talking about…

"I was heading back to my home, I figured since you are taking Tali with you, that means my own personal problem with Saren will have to wait until you get your hands on him."

Shepard fixed me with a glare.

"You are coming with us, if you are going after Saren then I would rather have you on my team, then out there where you might show up during one of my missions and potentially screw it up."

… Okay so she doesn't trust me, and simply wants me to come along so I won't mess with her future missions?... I'll take it!

"Are you sure about the Commander? I mean you know nothing about the guy."

Really Ashley, starting with that already? You sure you didn't miss a "And he is most likely an alien" in the sentence? God damnit, if Shepard changes her mind over this I am shooting Ashley in the face myself, Virmire be damned!

"I appreciate the concern Williams, but he is coming along and that is final, now let's go deal with Udina"

Phew…

* * *

The walk to the embassy was spent in relative silence, the only people who spoke was Shepard and Kaiden who was walking up front together, maybe those two will start something in this world? I hope not for Shepard's sake, of the two you can encounter on Horizon in ME2, I definitely thought Kaiden as the bigger asshole at the time. Wrex is just walking silently in the back of the group with the same old scowl on his face, Tali and Garrus are having a quiet chat about everyday things, and then there is Ashley Williams, whom have been glaring at me since we left the Wards, I guess she really does not like me, then again she is a bit of a Xenophobe, so it is to be assumed that she would dislike me on the basis that she thinks I am an alien. It is beginning to be a bit annoying really; maybe I should talk to her? I slow down enough so that I eventually end up next to Ashley.

"Miss Williams, have I done anything to offend you?"

Her glare intensified as she looked me in the "eyes", or at least what she thought as the eyes of the helmet (She is about 3 cm off).

"I don't trust you, simple as that. I have never seen armor like that, and the thing you did to the Turian? You didn't just break his bones, you pulverized them, and then you snap the neck of a Salarian like it is paper? I don't like having someone that dangerous around me, especially when I don't know anything about them"

So you are being a bitch is what you are saying? But in all honesty I can understand why she does not trust me, I am dangerous that much is true, she also knows nothing about me, so for all she knows I might snap and kill everyone here without blinking.

"Right, I am a problem, but a Krogan battlemaster you are completely fine with?"

Ashley looked behind her for a second, I heard Wrex let out a small laugh, I guess he found it humorous.

"I don't like having any aliens around on an alliance mission"

I guess that is all I am getting out of her, I slowly ease back to Wrex and walk beside him in silence, something tells me the big guy is not in a mood to talk right now.

"Handy trick you have with the charge thing, didn't know turians made that sound when their bones pulverized"

I stared at Wrex in mild shock, he usually doesn't start the conversations, but then again he is also a very violent Krogan, so seeing me doing that to a Turian must have made a little impression.

"It has its uses, but it doesn't have the same feel to it as pressing a shotgun into the brain on a Turian and pressing the trigger" I turned my helmet towards him, and I am sure Wrex could feel my glare through the helm. "Did you know that cleaning and repairing a barrel that has exploded from the inside out because it was blocked by Turian brain is really bothersome to do?"

A moment passed by with Wrex just looking at me, until I saw the realization in his eyes.

"You are the tall weak looking human I saw in Trecks shop." I nodded "Damn, you had that armor the entire time? Why didn't you just go into the mercenary business, you could have made a killing!"

Of course that is what you would have me do Wrex…

"Despite what you might think, I am not fond of killing without reason, and to me payment is not a good enough reason to end someone's life."

He grunted and called me Weak, and that kind of stopped the entire conversation in one go, I guess anyone who believes that senseless killing is useless isn't okay in his book.

* * *

Entering the office of ambassador (asshole) Udina he immediately threw a hissy fit.

"You are not making my life easy Shepard. Firefights in the Wards? An all-out assault on Chora's Den? Do you know how many" Finally Udina seems to notice the rest of us "What is this Shepard, a Quarian, Turian, Krogan and I don't know what that walking armor is! You better have a damn good reason for this Shepard!"

Walking armor?... I am reconsidering my earlier plan of just shooting Udina in the face right now, free the galaxy of one more political prick… But that would be bad, I mean he is sort of useful for a while, until he betrays us all.

"I am making your day ambassador" Shepard gestures towards Tali "She has information linking Saren to the Geth."

Udina looked skeptical.

"Really? Maybe you better start at the beginning miss…?"

Tali perked up a little.

"My name is Tali, Tali'Zorah nar Rayya"

"We don't see many qurians here, why did you leave the flotilla?"

"I was on my pilgrimage, my rite of passage into adulthood"

I just tune out at this point, I have listened to this talk so many times so I just don't care anymore, I start looking out over the Presidium, taking in its beauty while I can, because in a few months this place is getting razed to hell. I really should come up with some sort of plan for this, a plan B actually because for now I am just going with Shepard and see what she is doing, if she starts skewing over the more important detail I will take personal action. Perhaps I should contact Legion? Wait… is he even built yet? And is that even smart? There is a limit to how much I should mess with the world, and when the time for peace comes I am sure we can broker a deal much quicker with me there to roll out the fine print. I feel a tap on my shoulder, I turn around and see Shepard standing there.

"Yes Shepard?"

She glared at me for a little while.

"Did you even listen to any part of the conversation that just took place?"

She gestured behind her; I guess she is referring to Tali's explanation of the pilgrimage and Udina going all crazy over the evidence.

"Tali has a recording wherein Saren speaks about Eden Prime being a major victory, bringing him one step closer to the conduit, following she presented the last part of the audio log, revealing a second voice declaring that now they were also one step closer to the return of the reapers. Following you talked about what the reapers is, and now Udina has ordered you to meet him at the Citadel Tower so that you can present the Evidence to the council. Do you want the fine details as well, or was that good enough?"

Shepard blinked a few times and just stared at me, I guess she assumed I completely spaced out, I did but she doesn't need to know that. Shepard turned around and walked towards the door.

"Kaiden and Tali, I want you two with me when we present the evidence to the Council, Ashley can you escort the rest of the team back to the Normandy, and get them set up?" Ashley saluted followed by a "Yes ma'am", Shepard smiled at her and then went out the door with Kaiden and Tali in tow. Ashley turned to the remaining three of us and scoffed, she then walked towards the door herself with a simple nod of her head towards us, indicating we need to follow her, I step up to her side.

"Yeah I am not going back to the Normandy just yet, I got some things I need to grab. Don't worry I know where the Normandy is docked and I will be there in twenty minutes Chief"

Ashley fixed me quite the glare too bad that it doesn't work that well. I simply start walking off in the opposite direction from the others, as I get a little away I hear Ashley mutter "Fine", I smile inwardly and just continue walking. I need to make my way to the Citadel Tower, once Shepard is done with the whole Spectre thing I need to talk to her about getting my ship onboard the Normandy, my ship is not much bigger than a Mako, so there should be space enough inside the hangar of the Normandy.

* * *

Standing right outside the council champers I can hear the ceremony going on, Shepard is being made a spectre right now, and I must say it is a lot less epic without the badass music to go along with it. I lean my head back against the wall and just wait, I know Shepard, Anderson and Udina will be coming out in a few minutes or something.

And here they come, I can hear Anderson congratulating Shepard on becoming a Spectre, I guess he is happy, I mean after all he fucked up his chance to become a Spectre, or he got tricked by Saren, I don't really care either way. As soon as Shepard sees me her smiling face drops and I get another glare.

"Echo, what are you doing here, I believe I ordered you all back to the Normandy?"

I smile under the helmet and with a little more cheer in my voice then I meant to use.

"Well first congratulations on becoming the first human Spectre, that is quite an honor. Second, I did not go back with Ashley because I need to discuss something with you in private regarding me coming along with you."

Shepards glare intensified, I guess she doesn't like it when people give her terms of employment. She nods her head to the side and I walk with her a little ways away so that the others can't her us.

"What do you want?"

… Okay this anger shit has got to stop, because it is getting on my nerves.

"Okay let us just get one thing straight before anything else. What the hell are you so damn angry at me for?! You haven't known me for more than a few hours, and yet you treat me like I am the scum of the universe"

Shepard looks a little taken aback, she probably thought that I didn't care about her way of treating me. But the glare returned just as it had disappeared.

"I don't like you Echo. You are too much of an unknown, and your armor stinks of trouble, whenever I see tech I don't know it makes me worried, because I cannot be sure you are not walking around in a death trap that is waiting to spring and kill my entire crew. That along with you not wanting to state your name, this puts me in a position where I know absolutely nothing about you. So excuse me for not trusting you right off the bat."

So that is where the problem lies, **trust**. I can't blame her, trust is earned not given, I guess it will have to do.

"That I understand, trust is earned not given. But if you could tone down the anger, and perhaps try and be friendly, I might even tell you my name if you do. But back to what I wanted, you see I might just have a ship illegally parked on the citadel, and that ship might sort of be my only home, as well as where I store my armor and weapons. Without it I become useless on the battlefield, and as you said you would rather have me with you, than risk me messing with your missions. So I was hoping I could park the ship in the Normandy's hangar?"

Shepard looked at me with an expression that just oozed the thought "You are an idiot", and true enough her thoughts came out in the answer.

"You have a ship parked on the Citadel illegally? That is beyond stupid, but if you need it to function in the field I guess you can get it aboard. How big is the ship and how much space of our hangar do you think will need to be cleared?"

I let out a breath I didn't know I had been holding, so she will allow me my ship which is good for me.

"My ship is a little bigger than a Mako, but not by much. It holds space enough for one Pilot and on passenger, along with the storage space for two armors and weapons to accommodate both the Pilot and passenger. If the knowledge I have on the Normandy is correct you should not need to clear any space in the Hangar, I will simply land my ship next to the Mako and that will be it, this way you will not have to give me bunk or anything besides food, as I will be living in my ship as well."

Shepard looked at me with a questioning look, I guess she doesn't like the idea of me knowing anything about the Normandy, understandable enough really, it is a brand new ship which was just build and the specs should be secret to most people, but eventually she shrugs her shoulders.

"I guess that will work. How do you plan on getting aboard?"

"Take the Normandy away from the Citadel, just outside its scanner range so the Citadel won't pick up on my ship. Then simply clear the hangar and open the doors and I will fly right in and land my ship. Simple as that"

Shepard merely nods and smiles at me for the first time.

"Sounds like a plan. I will send the rendezvous coordinates to your omni-tool, meet us there in two hours. Oh and you and I are having a talk not long after you have landed, because no way am I allowing you into the field without being 100% sure you are not going to shoot us in the back."

I nod and Shepard turns back to the others and starts walking. I turn around and start making my way back to my ship. I guess this is it, I am leaving the Citadel and starting my adventure in the Mass Effect universe, it's going to be interesting that is for sure, let us just hope I can avoid dying somewhere along the way.

* * *

Reaching my ship I walk inside and Eva is there instantly with a chime and comment.

"_Operator Echo, you have returned. Was your plan successful?"_

I removed my helmet and placed it inside its container.

"Yeah Eva it was, get ready to depart we are joining up with Shepard and her crew. We are meeting the Normandy at these coordinates in an hour and a half"

I transmitted the coordinates to Eva and felt the ship start its usual workup for departure; I removed the rest of my armor and sat down in my chair. This has been one hell of a day, I am finally going with Shepard, now I can start to make a difference and witness some real badassnes in the process. I assume our first stop is going to be to get Liara, I wonder how long we are going to be flying around between planets before she finds Therum, no matter if Shepard spends a long time flying around It just means I will get to know the crew a little better, and perhaps it will cause Liara to think we are hallucinations but that is a minor detail.

I felt the ship take off and slowly make its way out of the Citadel once again, it really is one hell of a silent run to get out, I mean just moving from roof to roof once every two or three weeks is easy enough, just watch for the occasional sky car, but getting out? Shit that is a different beast, you have to fly around all the other parked ships, and you also have to ensure you don't show up on someone's proximity radar. But Eva makes it look easy, and within minutes we are free of the Citadel and heading towards our rendezvous with the Normandy.

A good half our later I arrive at the coordinates; I can't see the Normandy either on my scanners or outside the windows, so I guess I have to wait here for them. Maybe I'll catch a few minutes of sleep while I wait, I head over to my bunk and lie down, slowly I feel sleep take me, and as it does my mind shifts back home, to Arck and Eryna, and of course Sentel the little firecracker, I really miss them. I wonder how they took my message. Arck is probably angry, both at me and himself, Eryna probably cried, and Sentel will not have understood what was going on, I left a small part for Lotus as well, I hope she understood the message. If she didn't it's not the end of the word, but it would still be best if she gets it. A few tears fall down my cheeks as I think of home, and right before I fall asleep I see her face again, my Sivra.

I awoke to Eva alerting me that another ship was closing in, I got out of my bed and looked outside it was the Normandy, and right on time to, I guess I only got an hours' worth of sleep.

"Eva, establish contact with them."

"_Understood operator Echo, establishing contact…"_

**Third Person View (Aboard the Normandy)**

Shepard was walking towards the bridge; Joker had just called her, apparently someone is trying to make contact with them. Shepard thinks its Echo, but she can't be sure out here so close to the Citadel, it might just be an alliance frigate. As Shepard approaches the bridge, the pilot Jeff "Joker" Monroe comes into view.

"Hey commander, I have been getting the same call signature for the last four minutes, I can't see any ships in our close proximity, same with our scanners, you think this is our guy?"

Shepard looked out the windows and looked around, she couldn't see a ship either.

"Accept the call Joker, let's see who is calling."

Joker pressed a button and answered

"This is the SSV Normandy, identify yourself"

a voice rang out through the cockpit.

"Took you long enough Shepard, I have been calling for four minutes, its rude to keep people waiting you know!"

Shepard put her face in her hand, that was Echo alright, only he could produce such a dumb greeting, him or Joker, but Joker was thankfully behind the wheel right now.

"Echo where the hell is your ship? Our scanners aren't picking anything up and we can't see anything either, did you chicken out or something? Or did you get caught on your way out?"

A minute of silence ruled the helm of the Normandy until Echo decided to respond.

"You can't see me on your scanners because I have a small stealth drive like you. You can't see me on your scanners for the same reason; I have a small stealth drive. Is the hangar clear Shepard? I'll come out of cloak as soon as you are ready to receive me"

Shepard looked at Joker who seemed a bit confused, a stealth drive that actually hid you from sight, attached to a ship? That was unheard of, but Shepard still sent a message down to the hangar.

"This is Commander Shepard; clear the hangar we got a ship coming in to land. I repeat clear the hangar"

Down in the hangar people moved for the elevator and piled in, as soon as the last person stepped out on the crew deck Garrus sent a message back to Shepard.

"The hangar is clear Commander"

"_Understood" _Was the reply.

Back up on the bridge Shepard then reopened the channel with Echo.

"The hangar is clear; we are all set for you to land."

Slowly in the distance Shepard saw something flicker, like a tactical cloak turning off, and sure enough slowly a small ship become visible. Shepard had to agree with Echo, the ship was not much bigger than Mako, so there shouldn't be a problem with getting it on board.

**Marcs point of view (Back on his ship)**

"_Cloak disengaged. The hangar doors of the Normandy have opened operator Echo, do you wish to land?"_

"Go ahead Eva, I guess I'll jump back into the Armor"

I really have to find a better way to move around the Normandy once I get there, walking around in this Tank is not going to work forever; maybe I should use the hazard mask? It fits right around the head and locks together with my Tenno uniform, it looks like a mask more so than anything else, it would serve the purpose and I wouldn't have to walk around in the Rhino all day. Opening my weapons locker I see it sitting down there in the corner, and I know I shouldn't keep it in there, but I got limited space… says the one who can warp things into pocket dimensions… moving on. I put my Tenno uniform back on, and my lord does it feel fantastic to be back in uniform, staying in that itchy hell that these people call clothes has been terrible.

I feel the clunk as the ship settles inside the hangar, I take a peek outside the window just in time to see the doors close and the slowly the hangar is being refilled with air, good I wouldn't want to die when I took my first steps on the Normandy, but if Wrex is there, that could still happen. When Eva would finally let me open the doors, I took my first look at the Normandy, and can I just say

"Holy shit this thing is massive!"

I know not the best of things to say, nor the classiest but really, the Normandy is enormous compared to what you see in the game, forget having just the Mako and my ship in here, I could fit three more of my ship in here before we would start lacking space! And now where I look around, this isn't the same area that I usually see Wrex and Ashley and the lockers in, I think this is actually just the hangar, I must then assume that behind the doors I see over there is the actual elevator up, and perhaps the armory.

I saw the door at the far end of the hangar open, and lo and behold there is Shepard herself, crimson hair and green eyes, and a look that says I am going to kill you?... ohh shit

"What in god's name where you thinking?!"

Okay I am confused, did I miss something here? Have I already scratched the paint?

"Actually letting an AI trying to access my ship?! Joker nearly had a heart attack when he found out! Engineering is going apeshit because they think our entire system might go down, and then they have to reprogram and rewire everything!"

AI?

"**EVA!"**

If Shepard reacts I don't see it, right now I am too angry at Eva, she went and did it again, accessing any form of new tech she comes close to.

"_Operator Echo, you sound displeased?"_

D-dis-displeased?!

"DISPLEASED?! You tried to hack into the Normandy, what in the flying frozen fucking hell where you thinking?! I never ordered this, and I sure as hell wouldn't have permitted it! So do you mind explaining this before I find your center programming and rip it from my ship?!"

Right now my eyes are deeply focused on the little green orb which produces Eva-s voice, and I am not happy.

"_I am programmed to ensure your complete safety operator Echo, so I merely wanted to inspect the status of this vessel. I did not believe it would cause any harm to you."_

"You know what Eva? That is it, I have had it with you for now!" I lowered my voice so only Eva could hear me "You have been like this for fifty years, and now I am putting a stop to it"

I walk over to my console and enter the command override.

"Command Override Voice Authorization: Tenno Warrior Alpha-052 Codename: Echo" a mechanical beep sounds, letting me know that the computer has accepted my password. "As of this moment the VI "Eva" is not allowed to access any systems or technology outside of the ship itself, without express request or permission from myself, or any Tenno of Master Rank and above!" Another beep sounds letting me know that the order as well as the new programming has taken effect. "Now Eva I am turning you off until I need you again." I hit the off switch and walk back outside of my ship, to a still pissed looking Shepard staring at me with a burning fury in her eyes.

"That talk I said we needed? It just got moved, we are talking now! And we are starting with what just happened!"

I sighed and gave a nod, I turned around and walked into the ship, gesturing for Shepard to follow me. I directed her to the passenger seat and sat down in the pilot seat myself.

"Whatever you want to know, just ask. But since you made it clear where you wanted to start, what just happened was not an AI, but a VI with advanced programming, I call her Eva, and she was preprogrammed to ensure my safety, where I am from that means hacking into every device around it that is not of Tenno origin. It will not happen again as I have put her in lockdown and confined her to the ship, she cannot reach beyond my ship without my say so"

Shepard glared at me for a second more, then she seemed to relax a little.

"Then for my next question, who and what are you?"

And this is where I need to lie through my teeth again. I remove the hazard helmet and reveal my face, Shepards reaction was understandable.

"What in god's name are you?"

I smiled weakly at her.

"I am human, that much I can say, as for my skin? It's a genetic condition that cannot be cured, all it does is simply making my skin this pale, and it has also made me a little sensitive to strong sunlight, in other words I burn easily."

She nodded.

"The Tenno?"

I sighed loudly, this one I don't think she will believe but here goes.

"The Tenno are an ancient order of warriors, we fight with our armors, called "Warframes" these Warframes allow us exceptional combat abilities, each frame serves its own unique purpose, as a Tenno gets older he or she may choose to use different Warframes, I never managed to get that far and I was only permitted to use the Rhino Warframe, which is standing behind you inside that weapons locker. As for where the Tenno are based or came from? Please don't make me explain, this is one thing my order keeps very safe, and telling you would break so many of our rules, and violate my own personal code"

Shepard looked deep in thought when I was done explaining, whatever she buys that or not I don't know, but most of it is true.

"I can hear that you are speaking the truth or at least some of it, and see it as well for that matter, so I will respect your wish and not ask about the Tenno. Moving on, will you tell me your name now?"

Looking at her I can see that she is serious, so I got away with that at least partially huh? Damn I promise you Shepard, one day I will tell you the truth, someday if I ever become brave enough.

"My actual name is Marc, Echo is the call sign the Tenno gave me, please done make me explain how I got it, it's a long and boring story, one I do not wish to retell … But now where we are on my name, I will request that you do not call me by that name unless we are in private, when among the crew or outside the Normandy please refer to me as Echo, as very few people call me Marc, and I would also like to keep my name secret for as long as I need to"

"I can understand your need for secrecy, and I will respect that choice. As long as you respect my choice and don't call me Jane outside of private meetings either."

Ohh this is too good a chance to pass up!

"You mean there will be more **private** meetings **Jane**?"

Come on, come on… YES! She blushed! Score one for the wonders of innuendo! But in all honesty.

"As long as you respect my wish Shepard, I will respect yours. Now anything else you wish to know?"

Once her blush had disappeared she got that same stoic look on her face.

"Just one thing, this ship. It can actually cloak?"

I laugh a little at that one, I mean yeah it can, but not really

"Yes and no. Yes because indeed it can engage active cloak just like a personal cloak, but much like any cloak Shepard, once you get close enough there is something clearly there once you know what to look for. And I can't stay out of scanner frequencies for that long before I need to "resurface" so to speak"

Shepard chuckled a little at that, her laugh is really cute actually. Wait what? No bad thoughts! No sleeping with the main character! Down boy! Down! I notice Shepard getting up to leave, she stops next to my weapon locker and gestures towards it, I guess she wants to have a look inside, I nod my head. As soon as she opens it I can see it in her face, she is in love, but then again it's not every day you get to see a Tennos personal armory, and I did bring quite the collection. Getting up I walk over next to her, and I can see her clearly staring at the collapsed Rhino Frame.

"Generation two Warframe, designation "Rhino" Version 5, build to outclass its predecessors in every aspect, its faster and more durable, as well as containing additional power cells to fuel the Rhinos four primary combat abilities." Shepard looks at me with a fascinated look, and a lot of curiosity, so I continue "The Rhinos primary function in combat is to **be** the frontline, standing ahead of any other Tenno, taking every shot and shrugging them off. To do this the Rhino has been created with four abilities. These are firstly "Rhino Charge" by releasing a certain amount of energy the Warframe can propel itself forward at incredible speed, as well as knock down, or damage any opponents finding themselves in the path of the Charge. Second ability "Iron Skin" the Rhino Frame coats itself in an extra protective layer of a special liquid Iron which comes from inside the Warframe itself, this liquid is stored in tanks spread around the Warframe ensuring a full coating of the Warframe, upon taking enough damage the Iron Skin will retreat back into the Warframe and recharge itself, making it reusable, should you somehow run out of this Liquid you can either make some more yourself with the right materials, or simply requisition some more. Third ability, "Roar" the Rhino Warframe lets out a mighty roar that terrifies enemies and overcharges the cells in other nearby Warframes with the Rhinos own released energy, this is only a momentary boost and should be used with extreme caution, as the user of the Rhino is leaving themselves with remarkably low energy levels following a "Roar". Finally we have my personal favorite, "The Rhino Stomp" in the event of a prolonged battle, and a reasonable distance from the targets, the Rhino can release all energy stored inside the Warframe to stomp into the ground, releasing a momentary gravity reversing field leaving all enemies caught inside the stomp motionless in the air, this ability most only be used as a last resort, following the use of stomp the Rhino will need to recharge completely, effectively stopping the Rhino from using any other abilities for the rest of the mission.

Shepard looks at me in awe, and then she looks back to the Rhino, and I can see it in her eyes, she wants it and she wants it really bad (Get your minds out of the gutter), but alas only Tenno can pilot a Warframe, I guess I better tell her now before she asks herself.

"Furthermore, all Warframes are built with a DNA scanner to ensure only the Tenno can activate and control them, this is done so it is impossible for anyone to steal a Warframe"

Shepard looked almost crestfallen; I know the feeling, having such a cool toy right in front of you, only to get told you can't use it? I felt like that the first time Arck took me to the armory at the Tenno base and showed me all the weapons I could eventually learn to use, I almost cried when he took my Soma away from me at the time.

"Well, can I play with some of the other cool things in here? Like that sword in the back?"

I looked inside the locker and saw the weapon she had set her sights on; Galantine. Props to the girl for going for the big toys right off the bat.

"Shepard if you can lift that sword, and swing it without any problems I will let you use it whenever you want."

Shepard beamed at this, as she reached for it I let a smile creep all over my face, because if she can lift a 200kg sword without breaking a sweat, and then swing it without problems? Fuck me then I'll let her have it, I can barely swing that sword without having the Rhino to support me, so I doubt she can. And I am proven right in the second she tries to lift it, because she gets it no further then off its holding before dropping it, and it then promptly stuck itself to the floor of the cabinet. Shepard looked at me with a small blush and apology in her eyes.

"Sorry, that was a great deal heavier than I thought, you swing this around on a regular basis? That's incredible"

I smile and nod at her.

"It's okay Shepard, Galantine weighs 200kg on its own, I can swing it myself yes, but I get tired after around 10 minutes, I usually need the Rhino Warframes extra strength to use it efficiently in battle"

I noticed a mischievous grin on Shepards face.

"So what you are telling me, is that you can't swing your sword for more than 10 minutes without support before you get tired?"

I groan loudly as Shepard laughs her ass of, I guess that was payback for earlier… After giving Shepard a semi hurtful glare I laughed along with her for a while. Soon enough she was back to looking around inside my weapons locker, and my lord did she look and touch whatever the hell she thought looked like a fun thing to shoot. Eventually she found my Paris Bow.

"Really Marc? A Bow? Who even uses that sort of thing anymore?"

I pulled out the Paris and an arrow, I knocked the arrow and pointed it outside the ship.

"The Paris Bow, a weapon designed in the honor of the ancient bow Weapon, however this model is a little different, the string is a special kind of fiber, when pulled back it stores kinetic energy until its released, once released the arrow will then fly with whatever speed fits the amount of kinetic energy stored in the string. When held for about an hour the arrow will release at 500 km/h"

That got a whistle out of Shepard, she took it and played around with it for a while until she put it back in the locker, then she started looking at the other weapons again… She really likes guns doesn't she? I noticed her reach for the Vectis, I moved and grabbed her hand.

"Not that one Jane, as much as you might love Snipers, my Vectis is the only gun inside this locker that is strictly off limits, **no one** uses it and anyone who even tries to touch it will find themselves on the unfortunate end of my Tigris shotgun" I reach into the locker and pull out the Shotgun in question "This however you are free to shoot as you see fit, from the looks of your loadout when we first met, I suspect you of being a shotgun fan?"

Shepard grabbed the shotgun and looked it over, she then slowly looked me in the eyes.

"Could we go to the shooting range for 5 minutes?"

I could see the sheer joy in her eyes over the chance of shooting that thing around. I reached into the locker and unhooked my Soma and my pair of Vasto pistols.

"Sure, I could use some target practice" Reaching back into the locker I pull out three boxes of Ammo "This should keep us going for a good thirty minutes of you playing around with that shotgun"

Shepard simply smiled at me and I could see that she was more than ready to go out there and shoot everything within sight. Let's just hope no one gets injured once she starts spraying bullets…

* * *

Okay I have gotten it confirmed! Shepard is absolutely INSANE! She has been running around the gun range mowing down targets with my Tigris for ten minutes now, and she is still laughing like a maniac while she is doing it. Not that I mind truth be told, seeing her have a good time is nice, it's very calming, despite all the obvious chaos…

Another five minutes later when Shepard finally stops.

"So you had your fill of firing my shotgun Shepard?"

She just grins like an idiot.

"It ran out of ammo"

… … … … … it what?

"Are you telling me, that in fifteen minutes, you have blown through an entire Tigris ammo case?"

Shepard just looked sheepishly at me like a little girl.

"It's fun, what can I say?"

"Shepard, a veteran Tenno no matter how trigger happy, spends at least an hour emptying a full case of ammo, what the hell did you do? Turn on the automatic and just hold down the trigger?"

Shepards eyes shot wide open, her mouth fell along with them.

"This has an auto setting?!"

Ohh no…

"Forget I said anything!"

But it was too late, she found the button, thank god she already emptied the case, at least now she has to wait until we actually go on a mission to get trigger happy again…

"Oh well, no good thing lasts forever, so you going to shoot the ones you brought?"

I just looked over at my Soma and two Latos and smiled.

"Nope, I figured once you were done with the Tigris, you wanted to feel what a real set of pistols are like"

The smile on Shepards face is almost shining. But right before she grabs the pistols she stops herself.

"I forgot. We have to get up to the bridge, I only planned to speak with you regarding the things we already discussed, we need to get going towards our first destination." I saw her walk over to the console and open a channel to Joker "Joker, set a course for the Artemis Tau Cluster" not two seconds later did joker come with his "Aye Aye Ma'am" and slowly I felt the Normandy start its run towards the relay.

"So what is our first stop Shepard?"

Shepard simply turned around and looked at me

"How about you join the rest of the ground team in the briefing room and I won't have to explain it twice?"

I laughed a little and then I stood, I grabbed my guns and gestured to Shepard to go ahead, I would put back my guns and then join the rest of the team in the briefing room.

After putting my guns back in the locker, and locking down my ship, I made my way to the elevator, I saw there were four floor, top floor holding the bridge and briefing rooms, second floor holding the crew quarters and mess hall and med bay, third floor was the "entertainment" deck meaning it held all of our training equipment as well as a little vid lounge where the occasional movie night could be held, and the finally the fourth floor which was my current location the hangar. I press the button for the first floor, and off we go, wait isn't the elevator in the Normandy notoriously slow? Not ten seconds later do I hear a ding sound, indicating I have arrived, I guess it's only in the games they are so slow. As I move directly forward I can hear voices from inside the briefing room, Ashley is ranting it seems, I stop in front of the door without opening it so I can listen.

"I don't trust him Skipper, I don't think we should let him in on the ground team, I don't think he should be on the ship at all."

I heard some murmur of agreement from Kaiden, but I expected no less from those two really. I could hear Wrex scoff to himself, either he disagrees or doesn't care, same either way really. Garrus and Tali are silent; I guess they don't want to get mixed up in this.

"Your opinion is noted Williams, but it's my decision and I say we bring him along. I want to see how he does in actual battle; if he is no good then I have no problems kicking him right off the ship"

No you wouldn't, you wouldn't kick me off, because then you would lose your new toys. But I guess it's time to face the music, I open the door and walk in, a few faces turn towards me and I look at Shepard, she just smiles and gestures towards a seat.

"Nice of you to join us Echo"

I give her a court nod and sit down. Time for Therum and Liara's recruitment it seems, and my first fight against the Geth.

**A/N: Right chapter 4 is done, this is the first time I am actually a little shaky about a chapter, so any review will be highly appreciated, I also decided to try and play around with those Lines that seperate parts of the chapter, when i use one of those really long as line its usually means a change of scenary or a longer amount of time has passed, please do tell if you think it makes it easier to read. Also Next week there is probably not going to be a chapter, I got a huge school project going on, so I won't have time to write, but I will try to get it done before the project starts. Next time will be where we take our beginning with missions, starting with Therum and then moving our way along. And just as a side note: As displayed when Marc talks about the Rhino, some things about the Warframes are heavily modified, since I needed a way to explain things like "Roar" and the stomp ability. I hope you all at least partially enjoyed this chapter. **

**As always leave a review, constructive criticism is always welcome!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I AM SO SORRY! This chapter is like three weeks late or something, I am really sorry! My life just took a drastic turn both in school and in my personal life, but it is here now, I hope you enjoy it, and this note is continued at the end of the chapter! Enjoy!**

Sitting down in the chair, I take a look around, taking in the faces of this group of ordinary people, who in the times to come will be forced to become extraordinary. Looking around I see Ashley glaring at me, not surprising really. Kaidan looks indifferent, same goes for Wrex, Garrus and Tali, it seems only Ashley has issues with me, at least for now. Looking at Shepard she seems to look me over a second, a questioning look enters her eyes when she sees my mask is back on, I just stare into her eyes, hoping she understands. Shepard nods silently and then turns to address the group.

"Alright people, our assignment is to locate Lady Benezias daughter, Liara T'Soni all we know is that she is somewhere in the Artemis Tau cluster, there is four systems in the Cluster, since we don't know which one Miss T'Soni is currently in, we will simply have to start somewhere and work our way forward. Any questions?"

God this could be a good while before we arrive at Therum, with a little luck maybe Shepard will just start in the Knossos system, and we will not have to spend a week or whatever, flying around to other planets wasting time, if I had a good excuse for knowing where the dig site is I would use it, but alas I do not, so I guess all I can do is hope.

"What system are we starting in Shepard?"

Good question Garrus. Where are we starting our hopefully short hunt?

"Well, we have to start somewhere so I guess… Sparta system sounds good?"

… It's better than nothing I guess. But if we are starting in the Sparta system there is almost a 100% chance, that we will pick up the distress call from Edolus, and then I guess we will be going down to greet a Thresher Maw. I overhear Shepard contacting Joker with our new destination.

"_Roger Commander, ETA 17 Hours"_

"Understood Joker, well everyone you got 17 hours until we arrive in the Sparta system. I suggest you prepare your equipment in case you are going in the field and try and relax a little, get some sleep or something, you are not that useful if you are only half awake"

The last bit was added with a smile, I guess I got 17+ hours to prepare and think up a way of going about Therum, we will be facing a lot of Geth, and we have to fight an armature on foot once we get to the entrance of the dig site, I wonder if the Rhino could handle an Armature blast? Better not test the theory, I can't repair the Rhino if it breaks. Damn Liara is going to be a handful to deal with, she is curious by nature, and who the hell knows what she wants to ask once she realizes what I look like, would she even listen when I tell her I am simply human? I feel a small tap on my shoulder, I look up into Shepards face, it's very close.

"Marc, Marc! You in there?"

Shaking my head a little, I guess I phased out while thinking.

"Yeah, I am here I just tend to phase out when I go into deep thought about something, you need something Jane?"

She shakes her head at me.

"No, but everyone else has left"

I look around and sure enough, everyone is gone. I stand up and nod to Shepard, and start walking out.

"Marc wait a second" I turn around and look at Shepard "you might want to go around and introduce yourself to some of the crew, like Chakwas our doctor and Joker our pilot"

"I am already familiar with both Doctor Chakwas, and Jeff "Joker" Moreau, but if you feel it necessary for them to also become familiar with me, then I will go and introduce myself"

That came out a little more "Tenno Soldier" then it was meant to, but Shepard simply nods and I make my way out of the briefing room, I guess I am heading downstairs.

* * *

Going to see Chakwas first seemed like the logical thing to do, I need to inform her of a few things anyway. Getting of the elevator on the second deck I look around, despite just being a lot bigger, the crew deck is looking more or less the same as in the game, just a few more doors and tables around. Looking over to the side I can see the med-bay with the usual glass window, I can see Chakwas inside talking to someone, or at least I suspect she is talking to someone, unless she is mumbling to herself. Getting closer to the door I hear a familiar voice.

"Thanks doc, just one of these before I try to sleep?"

Ashley is getting sleeping pills? Well why not, seeing your entire squad killed could produce some nasty nightmares. The door opens as I am about to walk in and Ashley catches sight of me, she does not look pleased.

"What are you looking at?"

"Nothing miss Williams, I am here to speak with Doctor Chakwas. Now if you are done acting up because you dislike me, then by all means proceed with your daily routine, do try not to smile too much"

Ashley simply grunted at me and pushed past me, I could hear her mutter some less than decent words under her breath, well that is her business anyway. Turning around I catch my first glimpse of Chakwas, and I must say she looks quite good for someone her age; then again she is a doctor they tend to take good care of themselves. She is looking at me a bit funny; I guess it's the mask.

"What can I help you with Mr.?"

"Call me Echo, Doctor and I do not need your immediate assistance with any health issue, I merely came to introduce myself, as well as relay some information about myself"

Chakwas smiled and nodded.

"Very well Echo, then I must insist you call me Chakwas, Doctor is much too formal for me, but I doubt I will need any information from you, unless there is something I will not be seeing on your medical chart?"

"That is the thing Chakwas, you will not be getting a medical chart from me, who I am and what I am is mostly my business, and what I came to tell you is merely instructions, should I somehow screw up enough during a mission so that I require to visit the med-bay, or get carried here unconscious, I must insist you do not attempt any form of medical treatment, simply close all wounds you find on my person, and then leave me be until I awake by myself, once all the wounds have been closed my body will take care of the rest"

Chakwas looked insulted, as she should. I basically told her that no matter what happens to me, I do not want her to operate on me, or try to assist me in any way, so in reality I just told her to not do any of the things she swore to do when she took the medical oath.

"I understand some of the crew might not wish for me to dig around inside them, being of different species and all, but I see no reason that you would not allow me to assist you, I mean you are human are you not?"

I smile weakly behind my mask, not that she can see it anyway.

"Is there a way to ensure no one can see inside the med-bay, as well as locking the doors?"

Chakwas look slightly confused, but then bring up her omni-tool and I hear the door lock, as well as the windows shading so they are completely dark. I nod and slowly pull of my mask, Chakwas looks shocked at first sight, but then slowly I see that shock turn into curiosity.

"Fascinating, your skin is completely pale, yet your eyes and heir seem to be a very natural color, however did you become like this?"

"It's a long story Doc, the short version is that when I was found by my order, they stitched me back together, this came at a cost though, I now house millions upon millions of nanites in my blood, they keep me together so to speak Doc, this is why I do not want you to try and fix anything inside me, the nanites will do it if I am simply alive once they start their healing process, any interference and the nanites might shut down and essentially a lot of my major organs will go with them, and that will surely kill me"

"And this procedure that they performed on you turned your skin this pale?" I nod silently "Interesting, I see why you did not wish for me to interfere with anything. I will accommodate your wish and should you ever find yourself in the med-bay I will only close up your wounds, but if you come in here with a truly life threatening injury, I cannot guarantee that I will not operate. Does the Commander know about this?"

"I can accept that and no, I lied to her and told her it was a genetic condition, and I would like her to keep that idea"

Chakwas nods and I can see she doesn't like it, but she respects the doctor, patient privilege. I put my mask back on and turn around and head towards the door, I hear Chakwas tell me to take care on the way out; I simply lift my hand in a waving gesture with a smile. I guess I need to go see Joker now, this could turn out fun, or maybe it will be catastrophic.

Heading towards the elevator to take it back up to the command deck I notice Kaidan sitting by one of the mess tables, he is nurturing what seems like a batch of paste, I hope ship food tastes a lot better than it looks, I guess Joker can wait a while I should get to know as much of the ground team as possible, well get to know them more personally I guess, I know most of their lives anyway. Getting closer to Kaidan he notices me and puts on a weak smile, I guess the food is really terrible, because he looks positively ready to vomit it back out.

"Hey Ki…"

"If you call me "kid" Kaidan I can assure you, you will have to visit the good Doctor for more than just an upset stomach; I can assure you that if anyone should be calling anyone "kid" here, I would be calling you that"

Yeah bad first impression I am sure, but I am not dealing with him calling me kid. I am 154 years old! He is only 33, so by all means I could be his great grandfather or something, so no way in hell is he calling me "kid". Kaidan is looking a little confused, I guess he assumed I was still young due to my voice, and given I still sound like a twenty year old, but that is simply the delayed aging of the Tenno at work.

"That so? I could have sworn you were young enough to be called "kid", but since you seem to think you call me that, then you must be quite the age huh? So what we talking here, 45-50 years old?"

"54 actually, so not that far off" Kaidan looks really confused now, I guessed 54 would be less of a blow and more believable than 154 "I aged nicely, though I guess I only got a few more good years in me before its time to hang up the weapons and live a more quiet life"

"Aged well? You sound like a twenty something year old, damn I hope I still sound like this when I am 54, been fighting long?"

Nodding I let a few memories roll in my mind, remembering the first time I shot a gun, my first kill, the horrible stench and the following month of me being a nervous wreck over it, yeah I've been fighting for a long time now.

"For as long as I can remember, which is why this will be my last outing, once Saren is dealt with I will hang up my guns for good, time to find some peaceful little planet to rest on"

Kaidan lets out a good long laugh at that.

"Isn't that the dream? Growing old on some luxury planet somewhere out there, free of troubles and worries and just relax and live"

"That it is, that it is" I sit down across from Kaidan "So, tell me a bit about everything, you have been with Shepard for a while now yeah?"

I see the smile on Kaidans face as I mention Shepard; I guess he already has a thing for her.

"Yeah, served with her since I got stationed to the Normandy, no finer soldier out there that is for sure. She has a knack for getting into trouble though, so I guess it's good she has someone like me around to hold her in the ears, but when it all comes down around us, Shepard is definitely the one who keeps us all together"

Damn, if he is trying to hide his very obvious feelings for her then he is doing a piss poor job of it, understandable none the less, Shepard is fantastic; I really should get to know her better. I talked quietly with Kaidan for another thirty minutes or so, before deciding I need to go visit Joker.

* * *

A few meters away sit the best damn pilot in the galaxy, which also happens to be quite the smart ass. Approaching him I wonder what to say really, as much as Joker is a smart ass and funny to listen to, I never tried making conversation with him in the games, I just always let him be, getting up on his side he turns his head and gets a look at me, he is very silent for a smart ass.

"So, I guess you are that walking tank whose ship we had to let dock, funny you don't look so "tanky""

Smiling behind the mask I look over good old Joker, he truly never changes, and neither does his very dry wit.

"I do not need my armor to do to you, what I did to that Turian; your bones will pulverize just the same without my armor"

"Right, pick on the cripple, very original"

"Original it might not be, but funny to me it is hmm?"

I make a mock Yoda voice, I figured someone like Joker likes Star Wars, if that even exists in this universe.

"Did you just make a Star Wars joke on my behalf?" I nod while grinning from ear to ear under my mask "Well damn, haven't met another Star Wars fan in a long time, you up for a Star Wars vid night at first chance?"

"Do you even need to ask?"

Joker just let out a low chuckle and smiled at me, I can see that this is the end of this conversation; I guess I'll head back downstairs to my ship. Getting in the elevator and pressing the button for the Hangar, I feel the elevator stop as I pass the crew deck, as the door opens I see two women from the crew enter, as soon as they see me they stop chatting to each other and simply walk inside, once they see I am going to the hangar they simply lean back and wait for the elevator to get back underway. I guess they don't want me to listen in on their girly chatter, good for me I guess I was never much of a chatty person, reaching the Hangar I got out first followed by the two women whom starting chatting merrily again once they thought I was out of earshot.

"Oh god, did you see him? I heard he was walking around the ship, what do you think is under that mask?"

One of them just kept going and going, it seems I have found one of the chatty types on the ship already, maybe I should learn her face, so I can avoid her when need be. Walking past everyone down in the hangar I see Ashley on her bench cleaning her weapons, Wrex is over there against the wall, I don't think he moves from there, you know like **ever** unless it is for a mission. Getting inside the actual hangar I instantly notice Garrus over by my ship, he is looking it over and walking around it, I wonder if he has tried to touch it yet? Most likely not, as he would be in an unconscious heap on the floor, foaming slightly at the mouth I would suspect. Walking over Garrus notices nothing, I guess he is way too focused on my ship, I see him reach out a talon to touch the panel next to the door.

"I wouldn't do that, unless you want to spend the next six hours unconscious from electrical shock"

Garrus immediately withdrew his talon and looked over at me, he is slightly surprised from what I can see, but turians isn't the easiest people to read, they have a very stiff expression.

"Echo, I didn't hear you come in. This ship is amazing, I have never seen engineering quite like it, who build it?"

"My order did. Don't expect me to know anything about it besides how to fly it. When something breaks the ships VI will notify me and help me repair it. Want to take a look inside?" Garrus beamed at this, I walked over to the door and pressed my hand against the scanner next to the door "Welcome to my home"

I walked inside and sat down in the pilot chair and watched as Garrus just stared at every little detail he could see, he looked like a kid in the candy store. I don't blame him, I guess this sort of tech is really interesting to someone like him.

"This is marvelous, I would love to get the specs on this baby, think I could have 'em?"

"No." Garrus looked a little shocked at my brunt and harsh answer "No one gets any advanced information on this ship, doesn't matter who asks. You can look and inspect as much as you want, simply don't tell anyone what you find, or ask me for any info on the ship"

Garrus nodded and went back to inspecting the ship. He mulled around for about twenty minutes or so, just looking around asking the odd question every so often about where to open certain panels and such, eventually he gave me the whole "I need to go make sure the Mako is ready for deployment", he just wanted an excuse to go calibrate the Mako's guns I'm sure, once he left I decided to catch whatever sleep I could before we reach the Sparta system.

I sat up silently in my bed after waking up, I haven't slept for more than five hours it seems. Exiting the ship I notice the lights have dimmed, I guess the ships night cycle has begun, I guess I'll go sit in the cafeteria a little and grab a bite of something. Getting over to the elevator I feel a little sleepy, I really shouldn't have slept while waiting for the Normandy to arrive, since becoming half Tenno I haven't needed that much sleep, now my sleep cycle is completely busted it seems. Ohh well, we are going to do irregular deployments anyway, so might as well get used to it. Stepping of the elevator and walking to the cafeteria I notice just how silent the Normandy really is, I can hear a gentle hum from us moving through space, but other than that there is only my footsteps to be heard. I grab a food tube and press some of the paste unto my finger and give it a taste… well it's not prime steak but it's better than nothing I guess, I also grab a glass of water on the way.

Sitting down at one of the tables I start consuming my night snack. So we are going to Therum huh? I hope Liara is okay, as annoying I think she is to start with she does become quite the interesting person once she loses some of the shyness, but since we are exiting into the Sparta system we are ending on Edolus without a doubt, good thing Shepard isn't a sole survivor, or she would be in for a rude awakening once we reach Edolus. Leaning back in the chair staring at the ceiling I start thinking back to my home, not with the Tenno, my real home back on earth, it's been so long since I was there, it's been 130 years or so since I disappeared, everyone I ever knew is dead by now… shit, I feel a few tears slide down my cheeks as I think about my parents, they have gone their whole lives trying to figure out what happened to me, and in the end they probably didn't learn anything useful. I hear a door open to the left of me, as I look up I see Shepard walking out slowly almost like she is still asleep, when she sees me she looks around a little first, checking if someone is close by.

"You are up late Marc. Couldn't sleep either?"

I just smile at her, removing the rest of the mask and putting it on the table I turn towards her.

"I don't need to sleep really, Tenno can go two to three days without sleeping. I just figured I'd grab a snack. What about you? Insomnia?"

Shepard walked over and grabbed a glass of water, then sat down across from me.

"Something like it, I have nightmares most nights, so I rarely get many hours of sleep before I need to stay up for a few hours"

"Nightmares huh? Can't say I don't blame you then. I have nightmares whenever I sleep, same one too, just replays over and over again"

I trailed off in thought, Jane looked a little concerned but that is just the way it is I guess.

"Sounds nasty, what are your nightmares about?"

I smiled gently in her direction, she doesn't know she just stepped right next to a colossal landmine.

"Losing someone I should have been able to save"

I saw some recognition in Jane's face.

"Same for me, I keep repeating the time I lost my first unit"

"Akuze?"

That came out without me thinking, and surprisingly enough Jane reacts by going rigid, she starts getting paler and I could have sworn she started to hyperventilate for a second.

"How did you know? Alliance classified that Intel, even a spectre would have problems getting to it"

Shit, Alliance flagged it? I guess that is why Eva didn't tell me about it. Fuck me, she was on Akuze, not just does that make me a giant asshole for bringing it up, it also means once we land on Edolus, this is going to take a whole new personal turn for her. Can I help her in any way with this? I mean maybe I could, but jumping into a Cerberus ops might not be such a brilliant tactic from my side, since I pissed TIM off oh so royally… if we do this, I have to watch my back more so than usual.

"Marc? An answer if you please?"

"Right sorry, I fell into thought there. The Tenno are very resourceful, we have people in many places Jane, so we knew about Akuze, we didn't know who survived it though, only that somebody did, my apologies for bringing it up"

"I am not sure how to feel about that you know, that is some pretty classified info your order has gotten their hands on, any other useful information?"

I find myself smiling at the very obvious sarcasm in her second part of that statement.

"Yeah, I know where the Shadow Brokers base is, also I know where to find the secrets of the universe"

My voice dripped with sarcasm, and Jane's expression mirrored it perfectly, she laughed a little, good she needs to laugh, and not remember her time on Akuze, because this could to hell fast, and I most likely will. When it all comes crashing down I hope she will be the same brave commander everyone hopes she is.

"So how have you been doing around the ship? Talked to any of the crew?"

Staring over at Jane I looked a little surprised probably, I didn't suspect she would want to make small talk, but then again who am I to deny her, I did say I wanted to get to know her better.

"Talked to Chakwas and Joker like you said, then had a small conversation with Kaidan about this and that…"

"About Kaidan, he told me you were older than him, 54 to be exact, is that true?"

So Kaidan has been going around telling my age to people huh? Maybe I should return the favor...

"Yeah, I'm old haha" if it was possible to sound more dry, I don't know how "Got a problem with me being old? Or is it the whole "Look like a twenty something year old" that bothers you?"

That sounded a little harsh maybe…

"Not at all, damn I hope I look that good when I am 54"

"Oh so I look good do I Jane?" She blushed ever so slightly "Jokes aside, you do know Kaidan has a major crush on you right?"

What? If he can go around blabbering about me, then I sure as hell am not holding back either.

"Yeah, still haven't found a way to let him down though, I guess it is getting right about there, wouldn't want him to think I was leading him on"

He most likely thinks that already Jane, but there is nothing you can do about that after all. But Jane isn't interested in Kaidan, so unless she goes for Liara I guess we are talking romance less ME1. That is actually a pretty decent question.

"Hey Jane, this might be a bit personal, but are you into Aliens?"

Jane looked at me with ever so slight a blush, and then she gave me quite the steely look.

"As a matter of fact I am, anything wrong with that Marc?"

…. Did I just piss her off without even trying too? Great…

"No problem here, I was just wandering since you aren't interested in Kaidan maybe you were more into Aliens or maybe Women, or both for that matter"

Shepard grinned her little evil grin.

"I'll tell if you do"

"Really Jane? What are you six years old?" She just looked at me with that stupid grin and a glint in the eyes "I am straight, I got nothing against dating an alien" and if I did I would need a good explanation for the nights I spent with Sivra… "There you go Jane, your turn."

"Bi-sexual for me, cross species as well, I don't really care as long as they are a good person at heart"

I spaced for a second, "good person at heart" that is so like her, but it also excludes me I guess, as much as I like to think I did the "right" thing as a Tenno, I know all I was really doing was butting into a War I had no business messing with.

"Ohh, and in case you were wondering, you still fall under that category, even if you think otherwise"

… Did she just read my mind? And more else WHAT?! Did Shepard THE Shepard just hit on me? I must be going insane after all these years, because that just can't be true.

"What about you Marc. Do I fall under your taste?"

I blushed, and not a little, despite being pale I am quite sure my face could be compared to a Tomato right now.

"I'll take that as a yes then"

"You are unique Shepard, any man who does not have you in their "taste" need to have a visual checkup, that and you are one of the most amazing people I have ever met" Jane blushed a little "But in times of War or strife, there really is no time for love, and those who let love into their hearts more often than not get it crushed right in front of them…"

Shepard looked at me with a little concern, I guess I scared her a little.

"The person you should have been able to protect?"

I can hear where she wants the question to go, but do I really want to talk about it? Maybe… maybe it will do me some good.

"Her name was Sivra; it was a routine mission for us. But something went wrong, and we didn't get the right information on the base we were infiltrating, and soon enough we found ourselves outnumbered and outgunned, even with our Warframes there was not really anything we could do. We fought tooth and nail to get back to extraction, but when we finally got there, one of them got lucky and hit Sivra in the stomach with a minor explosive round, the round pierced her armor and exploded inside her stomach, there was nothing we could do. I held her as she died… if only I had been a split second faster I could have moved in behind her, I could have taken the shot and lived, if only I had been faster…"

I stood up and walked towards the elevator, before I turned the corner I looked back at Shepard, I could see it in her eyes, she was sad on my behalf, I appreciate it of course, but I don't need more people to feel sorry for me.

"Thanks for the talk Jane, it felt good to finally tell someone… I'll be down in my ship if you need me"

And with that I went back down to my ship.

**Shepard Point of View**

"Thanks for the talk Jane, it felt good to finally tell someone… I'll be down in my ship if you need me"

Seeing him walk off like that, I can't help but wonder how much he really hurts inside, I can see it clear as day on his face, and he loved her. Whoever this "Sivra" is, he loved her more than anything, I wonder if he will ever feel that sort of love again?

I guess I should get back in and see if I can fall asleep again. Getting up from the chair I walk back inside Anderso… my quarters, and sit down by the desk. Marc is hiding something, perhaps a lot of things, but I won't ask him to reveal these things until he is ready to tell me himself, but it's strange these "Tenno" I have never heard of them, and as far as I can gather, they are the ones to tell Marc about Saren, the Normandy, myself and everything else he knows it seems. It's a scary idea that somewhere out there is a group of individuals like Marc, with armor like his even; I think I need to tell Anderson about this, perhaps he can tell me more.

He knows about Akuze… I wonder just how much he knows. But it doesn't matter, I can't pressure him into telling me anything, and if I try I might drive him away, despite his rather obvious problems with certain crew members, he does seem like he could fit it, given the time. I walk over to my bed and lie back down, look up into the ceiling I slowly feel my tiredness return, funny Marc doesn't have to sleep for three days, I wonder what he spends the nights with then, maybe messing around with that interesting gun collection of his, I got to find a way to get him to let me borrow that Tigris shotgun again, and now I know it has auto. I feel myself pass into sleep, hopefully a dreamless one this time.

**Marcs Point of View**

Exiting the elevator I take a look around the armory, no one is here, good.

"ARGH!"

Bam!

Hitting the wall might not be the best way to vent, but it sure as hell beats going into the gym and punching a sandbag, the wall can take it for one. I just had to bring up the topic of lost ones, why would I do that? Not just is it painful for her to remember Akuze, but I ended up thinking about that stupid mission again.

Bam!

If only I had been faster…

* * *

Entering my ship I hear the small sound coming from Eva.

"_Operator Echo, the Alpha Frame has finished synching with the omni-tool, the Alpha Frame is once more ready for use"_

"Thanks Eva" Walking over I pull out the Alpha Frame in its collapsed form from the machine, I put it inside its own locker and watch it unfold. The Alpha Frame is not really much to look at, it really just looks like an Excalibur Warframe with no detail what so ever, and a round head instead of that spike sticking out, and then it's just completely black. If you move in close enough you can actually see the tiny plates that makes up the Alpha Frame, but that is just the way we had to build it.

I still wonder if I should use the damn thing, it's a terrible risk. We lost four operators when we first started testing it, they all died due to malfunctions in the reconstruction part of the Warframe essentially they got crushed inside the Warframe, once that got fixed we had new problems, various small parts of the Alpha Frame started moving around too close to the Tenno operator, we have three paralyzed Tenno because of it, and two more who got lobotomized, but everything is more or less fixed now, all that is or rather was left to do, was to program every Warframes information into it, before I came here we did get a lot of the Warframes ready, but not all of them a lot of the Warframes inside the Alpha Frame is also still just pieces, and some still don't work. If I ever decide to start using this, I have got to test it thoroughly before I start bringing it on missions.

Getting into my bed I feel exhausted for some reason, mental fatigue is a thing I guess. I just wonder how much of this I am going to have to repeat, one day Shepard is going to want to know what happened on that mission. I am surprised how easily I told her really, usually it would take way more than just a few words and a gentle smile, but to be fair I had just stepped all over her bad memories as well, so might as well share the pain. I really hope Shepard is ready for this, because once she lands on Edolus then the man-hunt begins, she is going to want blood for what happened on Akuze.

Cerberus… how the hell am I going to deal with them once we come around to ME2? I mean by that point I will most likely have pissed TIM off so much, that he would rather see the Normandy blown sky high, then have me on the crew again… But then again, Shepard will be in control of that, and TIM is usually quite lenient in ME2 as long as it leads towards the defeat of the collectors, and more to the point how do I get back on the team? I shouldn't dwell on that right now, I should keep focus on the mission at hand, and ensuring I survive to even see the start of ME2… and Shepards death.

**LINE**

I wake up after what I assume is a few hours of sleep, looking at the time I verify that I have in fact slept a few hours more. Getting up I start making my way towards the elevator, I figured I would grab some breakfast. Exiting the elevator on the crew deck I can hear quite a lot of people talking inside the cafeteria, I guess I hit the breakfast rush.

When I walked into the room you would think time stopped, almost everyone decided to stop eating, talking and walking to turn around and look at me, I must be really fascinating…

"Anyone got a problem?"

And suddenly the entire cafeteria was alive again. Unbelievable, I am here for less the 24 hours and already we got rumors, and all sorts of stupid crap floating around, lord knows what would happen if they found out I am pale as a ghost… Better not test that. Walking up and grabbing a bit of breakfast I look around for a table to sit down by, and sure enough I see Garrus and Tali sitting by themselves over by one table, I wonder if those two will start something, I mean they do if Shepard doesn't go for Garrus, at least in the games they did. I walked over and made a gesture to sit, Garrus simply nodded and I sat down and opened my mask around my mouth and began to eat. Looking up every now and then I see Tali stare at me, I guess I am quite the enigma for her.

"You wear a mask?"

Did a **Quarian** just sound questioning about me wearing a mask?...

"I do. I prefer people to not know what I look like" Even behind her mask I could Tali's very confused expression "It makes it harder for people to ever identify me should they ever need to"

Tali nodded and returned to her, food or whatever she is eating/drinking through that "emergency induction port" of hers. Eventually Garrus decided to join in.

"You wear a mask to conceal your face, yet I am quite sure you have shown your face when you lived on the Citadel, and I am 100% sure you have showed your face to Shepard"

I put down my fork and stare intently at Garrus before answering.

"Yes, I did not wear my mask on the Citadel, nor did I wear the clothes I do now, so if any person on the Citadel wants to ID me they are more than welcome to try. As for Shepard, then yeah she has seen my face, I don't keep secrets from my Commander" At least not minor ones like I am pale as a ghost.

"Good policy, maybe one day you will trust the rest of us enough to show us?"

I already trust you all with my life Garrus, never doubt that… but I can't say that

"Maybe"

We went back to eating and the table went silent again. Around us a lot of chatter was going around, everything from who lost at cards yesterday, to whom had gotten "lucky" in the showers last night… but one topic kept nagging me, with my above decent hearing I could easily distinguish the people who spoke about "the masked freak over there" I wonder if I should make it known I am human? Bunch of Xenophobic bastards this lot is, looking over at Garrus I see that his Turian hearing does not fail him, and he picks up the same things I do, he looks at me with a sympathetic look, I just wave him off it's no big deal after all.

All talk in the cafeteria goes quiet when Shepard walks in, she really knows how to silence a room. I simply observe as she goes to pick up her food and look around for a table, and to my eternal surprise she decided that the table she wanted to sit at was Garrus, Tali and mine.

"Morning Shepard, did you get some sleep?"

She gave me a stern look, almost looking a little irritated at me, maybe she thought of yesterday night as a private conversation? I guess your nightmares are actually quite private… I'm a prick.

"I slept fine Echo, how about you? If you went back to sleep that is"

Well at least she doesn't sound angry.

"I caught a few more hours of sleep after I finished looking over my armor"

Shepard nodded in understanding and started eating her breakfast. The next few minutes just went by with small talk, everything from ship talk to what we did before anything else; it goes without saying that I didn't really contribute so much to that conversation.

"So Echo, once we do find Doctor T'Soni, you think there is a chance I could borrow your Shotgun again, that thing was a lot of fun, and I never did get to try out the Auto function"

No. No. No. No. No. I am not letting her near anymore of my ammunition, I only have so much ammo for my own guns before I would have to start manufacturing more, and with the materials available in this Universe, it would be extremely expensive. I once showed a bullet to Treck, and he told me that I could forget it, if he had to make these bullets it would cost me way more than I would ever make working for him, a full clip of them would put me back half a year's salary. Maybe I should start looking into a way to integrate the mass accelerator used in the ME guns into my Tenno weapons, that way I would have plenty of ammo… project for another time.

"Echo, you still in there?"

Hm? Did I space out again? I guess I did.

"Sorry, fell into thought for a minute there, I don't know about letting you borrow my Tigris Shepard, you burn through the ammo quickly, and that ammo isn't cheap, and I only have so much of it before I would have to start manufacturing more, and something tells me you wouldn't want to cover the cost of the bullets you fire"

Shepard looks at me silently before I see her bend her head down slightly, then look up at me with a pair of the saddest and biggest puppy dog eyes I have ever seen, it almost hurts to look at… but no, I am going to stay firm, this is one thing I have to look out for, this ammo is precious and I might need it.

"Echo….."

Ohh god… not the sappy voice too, what happened to the badass super soldier I met back in the ally on the Citadel. I make the colossal mistake to look in her eyes, and right there my spirit just breaks, how the hell does someone that dangerous put out such a little pouting girl face… this universe is not fair.

"Urgh fine! Just ditch the look already! But you promise me that you will do your very best to not waste ammunition, only use the Tigris when it is completely needed!"

Shepard just nods vigorously and says thank you three times then goes back to her food with a happy smile on her face. I feel Garrus lean in to whisper something.

"What in the spirits was that look?"

I just sighed loudly and whispered back

"That look, Garrus, was the look of a woman with way too much power… pray to your spirits you don't find someone who can give you such a look, because I got a feeling this is not the last time I am going to be on the receiving end of that look"

He just looked at me confused and yet nodded and sat back. Eventually Jokers voice sounded across the ship

"_We have arrived in the Sparta System Shepard, any specific order you want me to go by the planets or just start from one end and go from there?"_

I looked over at Shepard who thought for a second before answering

"Just start from one end and work your way inwards"

"_Roger that Ma'am I'll inform you if I find anything"_

I guess we are only a few hours away from Edolus then, guess I'll go prepare. I stood up and made a farewell gesture to Garrus, Shepard and Tali and then left to go back down to my ship. As I stepped into the elevator one of the crewmen entered and asked if I was going down, I nodded and he pressed the button for the entertainment deck the elevator started moving, hmm the entertainment deck also holds the gym, maybe I should get a little workout in? No, that would require I put on some training garments, and I am not in the mood to play 20 questions with anyone who sees my skin, so as we stopped on the entertainment deck I simply pressed the button for the Armory and let the elevator do its thing.

A Few hours later I hear Jokers voice once more.

"_Shepard, there is a distress call coming from a beacon on Edolus, you think this could be the place?"_

I don't need to hear Shepards response to know it, I exit my ship and look over towards the Mako, and sure enough Garrus is in full swing getting the thing ready for deployment. Not two minutes later do I see Shepard walk into the hangar, and she is making a straight line towards me, guess I am going.

"Echo, get your Armor on, you are going with us down to Edolus, time to see if you can do anything"

"I'll be right out Commander"

_Time to see what I can do_, Shepard you insult me, but I could try going hand to hand with a Thresher Maw it seems like it would be tons of fun, or maybe not, I could just get eaten and face a rather slow digestion, or you know just use a Rhino Stomp inside the Maw's Stomach… Added to the list of things I need to do before I die. Stepping outside I see Kaidan and Wrex coming from the Armory, I guess we got our team then. I walk over to the Mako and look over it a little, so I am going inside this thing? Sweet Lotus I hope this thing doesn't handle like it does in the games.

"Ready for your first mission Old Man?"

… … Did Kaidan just call me "Old Man"? Oh to hell with this!

"I was born ready **kid**; let's see if all your years of fancy military training can beat experience"

I see Kaidan flinch slightly as I call him "kid", good perhaps he will learn quickly not to throw names around if he doesn't want his own names used against him. Crawling inside the Mako I notice that Kaidan actually sits down in the driver's seat, with Shepard getting into the navigators seat.

"Funny, I thought you would be driving Commander?"

I just hear a grunt as Shepard crosses her arms over her chest.

"After the last time Anderson went with me on a Mako deployment, I was forbidden from driving the Mako again"

… Are you telling me the Mako handles just fine, the game just represented Shepard's shitty driving skills, god help the poor souls that drove with her in the past. Before I get a chance to make a witty rebuttal I hear Jokers over the com again.

"_Alright Commander, one minute until drop"_

Off we go, to Edolus surface, a group of slaughtered Marines, a Thresher Maw and the start of the Cerberus conspiracy…

* * *

So, a Mako drop is not really that bad, I mean besides the feeling that you are going to crash into the ground with a speed that basically makes you think you are going to turn into a pancake. Jokes aside the landing went smooth as can go, Kaidan is an experienced driver I guess. Never the less we are driving around over hills and what not, making our way towards the distress beacon, and a Thresher Maw. How am I going to warn these guys about the Maw without giving away too much?

As we arrive we see the crushed transporter, as well as the beacon and a lot of corpses. We all get out of the Mako and I get suspicious almost immediately, in the games the Thresher Maw attacked as soon as you got close enough, yet here nothing has happened yet.

"Kaidan, do you know what squad these guys are from?"

An offhand comment to lead things along, while Garrus is working on the distress beacon. I see Kaidan inspect the fallen troopers with a sad look in his eyes, I understand the look though, losing some of your own is never fun, no matter if you knew them or not. With the Tenno whenever one of us died, a huge ceremony would be held to honor him or her, their Warframe would then be displayed as a testament to their bravery, these Warframes is what is referred to as a "Legacy" Warframe, receiving one of those is considered the highest honor.

"These are Admiral Kahoku's men, what the hell happened to them?"

Good, so at least that much didn't change, but I still walk around a bit, testing the terrain, because I am really uneasy about this. As I walk around I keep glancing over to Garrus who looks distraught at the Beacon, maybe it's broken or something? I feel my right foot sink a little into the ground, usually I wouldn't be surprised on a planet that is this covered in sand, but it sank an unnatural amount, like there was a hole there, reaching down I feel the ground in the area, and I find that I am right, a hole has been here, by now its covered by sand, but there was definitely a hole here, I stand up and look around the terrain, and sure enough more "holes" are visible all around us. I walk up next to Wrex and pat him on the shoulder while pointing at the nearest hole.

"You see over there, it's almost like the ground sinks in?" Wrex grunts and nods "I found another like it behind us, when I touched it I could feel there had been a hole in the ground, something has been here, but when I tried the measure the hole it was way too big for it to have been a drill, and with the amount of other "holes" around here, I am starting to think we might have walked into a trap…"

Wrex looked deep in thought for a second, before walking over and feeling the ground for himself, I saw the look in his eyes turn from passive, to angry in the span of a second, he stomped over to me and stared around.

"These are Thresher Maw holes, fresh too, can't be more than a day or two old, luckily we are not dealing with a full grown Maw here, it's still an infant, but even then" I nodded letting Wrex know I understood.

"Should we get back into the Mako?"

Wrex shook his head

"Not going to help much, we don't know if the Maw is below us right now, and if it is the Mako won't do much if it comes up right under it. We need to tell Shepard about this"

Fuck, I hate that he is right, but if we tell Shepard who knows how she will react… I see Wrex start his walk over towards Shepard and I just silently follow, as we approach I hear Garrus mumbling something about bad calibrations, Shepard sees us and turns around

"Find anything?"

As I try to speak, an image of my conversation with Jane passes my mind, and nothing comes out…

"There are fresh Thresher Maw holes all around us Shepard, we need to get out of here"

Blunt as ever Wrex… looking over at Shepard I can see her pale, slowly she goes more and more rigid and her breath starts speeding up. This is not good, I reach out for her but as soon as my hand comes within distance of her arm she swats it away and looks at me with a horrid expression, she looks like she has just seen a ghost. Turning around I look over at Kaidan and see he is still gathering tags from the dead marines.

"Kaidan! We need to get out of here now! Get in the Mako and get it ready! We got a possible Thresher Maw incoming!"

I see Kaidans head snap up and look at me, as his eyes land on Jane his first instinct seems to be to get to her aid, but his military training wins out in the end and I see him dart towards the Mako and get it ready.

"Done! The signal is disabled"

"Good work Garrus, get inside the Mako and jump into the turret, if that Maw shows itself I want you to blast it to all hell"

Garrus nods and takes off towards the Mako. I pull my Soma from my back and start looking around, Wrex takes up position behind Shepard, good he seems to understand. As I hear the Mako come to life, I also feel a giant tremor in the ground below us, I look over at the Mako just in time to see it speed forward and a Thresher Maw spring up, right where the Mako was not three seconds ago. The Mako looks around and sees us standing by ourselves; it opens its mouth to spit at us, this is not good, the Iron Skin can shrug of poison and acid well enough, but I don't think Shepard can handle an acid bath right now. Dammit.

"Wrex! Grab Shepard, get her to the Mako now! I'll distract this thing! GO!"

I can see the conflict on Wrex face, the mere notion of running from a possible Thresher Maw fight? For a Krogan it must really hurt, but I see his understanding as well, he grabs Shepard who starts struggling instantly, but there is not much a panicked marine can do against a Krogan battlemaster. I engage Iron Skin and sprint forward, time to play Thresher Maw bait.

I start shooting at the Maw with my Soma, each bullet hitting it square in the mouth, I can feel the Acid splashes behind me as I run, were it not for the improved speed I get from the Rhino I would really have been fucked about now. The Maw seems to keep its attention on me, at least until a giant explosion hit it straight in the mouth, turning back I can see the Mako's canon pointing directly at the Maw, thank god for Garrus and his master aim! I can see the Maw is reeling from the strike and it starts digging itself underground again, I almost smash my hand against my communicator.

"Wrex! Get the door open, I am coming in hot before that thing comes back up for air!"

All I get in a response is a grunt, I take off Towards the Mako now moving towards me as well, but we are still quite far apart, as I run I start charging a Rhino Charge, putting all the power in the distance, and nothing in the actual strength of the power, as I release it I feel myself speed up and rush past the Mako as it barrels past me. Turning around I can see the rear hatch is open with Wrex looking out through it, I take off again towards the now stopped Mako, as I get closer I can feel the rumbling in the ground again, it's coming! I jump into the Mako and I hear Wrex yell.

"Now!"

I feel the Mako barrel forward as the hatch starts closing, and right before it closes completely I see the Maw come smashing through the ground once again. Getting up to the turret I stare at Garrus, I can see he is focusing intently on hitting that thing. I jump into the navigators seat and open a channel to the Normandy.

"Joker! We need Evac get down here now!"

"_Roger, ETA 2 minutes"_

Fuck.

"Garrus, I don't care how much you burn out these guns, just blast that thing to kingdom come!"

Over the gun firing I overhear Garrus mutter

"Kingdom come?"

Of course he doesn't understand old earth terms… never mind.

I feel the Mako shake one more time as the Maw comes up right behind us, and as it does I can see on the screen that Garrus was waiting for it, I feel the entire Mako shake as Garrus just let the canon lose, the gun overheats within seconds and along with the sound of the heat venting, I hear the cries of a dying Thresher Maw, fuck me that was almost too much for a first outing with Shepard… Shepard! I almost jump out of the navigator seat and into the back to see Shepard laying there, her skin has returned in color, but she is still shaking. I feel a tap on my shoulder; Garrus had climbed down from the turret.

"Is she going to be okay?"

I just nod.

"Yeah, she just needs rest now, she had an unfortunate incident with a Thresher Maw before, I wish I could tell you more Garrus, but it is not my story to tell, can you go replace Kaidan, I think he wants to be here"

Garrus nods and goes into the front, Kaidan comes out seconds later and sits down next to her, I see him take her hand in his and just hold it. I feel something in my stomach as he does, an old feeling I haven't felt in almost a hundred years, jealousy maybe?

Minutes later we are back on the Normandy and Shepard is being taken into the Med bay, she is not shaking anymore, but she still hasn't woken up. I just step into my ship and take off my Armor, sitting down in my chair I just look out the window into the hangar, how is Jane going to handle this when she wakes up?

**A/N: Okay, sorry again for the extreme delay on this chapter, life really has a way of screwing with you. As of this moment "Mass Effect: The Warframe" goes on bi-weekly release, I will still update once a week if I get the time, but moving into the Exam period I need to focus on my school. But despite the large delay I hope you enjoyed this small amount of Action, but the main focus of this chapter was to establish Marc on the Normandy, of course this is an ongoing thing, but I hope I got it started off okay. **

**Next time: Theros!**

**As always Reviews are highly appreciated!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Marc's point of view**

'_Shit, how the hell are we going to deal with this? If Jane decides that this is more important… no she would never do that, her commitment to the Alliance is too big'._ Leaning back in my seat I just gaze into nothingness, '_we sure are off to a great start with this_'. I step outside my ship a few minutes later.

I see Kaidan pacing a bit to himself, just sort of going backwards and forwards in the same spot, trying to burn a hole in the floor maybe? I feel a light tap on my shoulder

"Kaidan seems really concerned about this, is there something going on that I have missed?"

"Not really Garrus, Kaidan just has a thing for the Commander, so it does not surprise me that he seems less than pleased with what has happened, give him time and he will be okay, did the Mako sustain any damage?"

"No, the Mako is fine, the Canon is going to need a little calibration, but all else taken in consideration and we seem to have gotten away without a scratch on the girl"

**Third person point of view**

Up in the med-bay things were already hectic; Chakwas was looking over Shepard and taking in every little detail she was being told by Wrex who followed them up to the med-bay. From what she was hearing it seemed like the Commander had suffered a panic attack, not unusual for soldiers suffering from PTSD, but the Commander never showed any signs that she still suffered so greatly from the events that transpired on Akuze so long ago. A small grunt came from the bed as Commander Shepard awoke anew, a little light headed and confused as to how she got onto the ship. Doctor Chakwas went up next to the Commander and gently placed her back down.

"You need to rest Commander, you suffered a panic attack down on Edolus, I would like to keep you here for observation"

The barely awake Shepard was now fully awake, and doing her utmost to be allowed to sit up, but one look from Chakwas and Shepard gently laid back down, many confusing thoughts was turning around inside the Commanders head.

'_I had a panic attack?'_

This was the most prominent of all thoughts in the Commanders head, she couldn't understand how she could have suffered from a panic attack, Commanders did not have panic attacks, they were supposed to keep a level head in all situation.

"Before you start beating yourself up over having a panic attack Shepard, you should know that PTSD is very normal, and fully treatable, I just wish you would have told me that the events of Akuze affected you this much"

"I didn't know I suffered from PTSD, this is the first time I have suffered any sort of panic attack Doc, the sight of a thresher maw should not cause such a thing"

Chakwas scowled at the Commander, she knew Shepard was lying, someone as strong willed as Shepard would know if they suffered from PTSD, so Chakwas was starting to doubt whatever she was truly suffering from PTSD, or if this was an isolated incident due to the similarities between the events on Akuze and the events on Edolus, Chakwas didn't voice her concern, Shepard would simply rebuff the idea and say it wouldn't happen again _'Soldiers, stubborn fools the lot of them'_ Chakwas thought quietly to herself, she had too often seen soldiers refuse these sort of things.

"How long am I going to have to stay here Doc? I need to report to Anderson what we found"

Chakwas sighed heavily and gestured towards the door

"Until your test results come back I have no reason to keep you Commander, simply don't strain yourself"

Shepard put on a grin and simply walked out of the med-bay. The cafeteria was empty so Shepard grabbed a bite to eat and then headed towards her office. Stepping inside Shepard placed her sandwich on the desk and sat down in her chair, slowly her head found its way into her hands, as she recalled the events that transpired on Edolus.

A knock on the door made Shepard lift her head back up, a few seconds later Kaidan walked in and he had a very concerned look on his face, and Shepard immediately realized that she had been too late with letting Kaidan down, a mistake she decided she would fix right now.

**Marc's Point of view**

Stepping out of the Elevator with Kaidan I see him make a straight line for Shepards office_, 'I sure hope he is not going in there to do what I think, because with what Shepard told me earlier then he is not going to be happy once he leaves that office'_. I marched into the med-bay and found the good doctor looking over Shepard's medical chart.

"Everything alright with our Commanders head?"

Chakwas lifted her head and looked in my general direction, her eyes closed ever so slightly as she studied me once again.

"I am not sure the Commander would appreciate that I shared this sort of information with you"

"If you mean about Akuze, then she has already told me"

I could see the confusion in the good doctor's face.

"It sort of slipped out earlier when she and I had a little talk"

"I see, I can't reveal any sensitive information, doctor patient privilege you understand, I can however tell you that her brain seems completely normal, no unusual activity, nothing that suggested she should have had a panic attack because of what happened, did anything truly significant happened down on the planet?" I shook my head "I see… then I guess this is purely inside Shepards head, nothing I can do to help her, all I could suggest is that she talks to someone about this, preferably with someone she has shared with in the past"

The pointed look she gave me screamed "That is an order" and I for one did not feel like opposing, '_Chakwas can be plenty scary when she wants to be'. _Nodding a goodbye to Chakwas I step back outside and walk over to grab a small bite, I see a few people sitting about enjoying a mild snack and some loose conversation, off duty engineers and soldiers without a doubt. I sit down at one of the empty tables and begin to eat.

After a few minutes I hear a small clank in front of me as Garrus takes the seat across from me, I give him an approving nod and go back to my snack. The silence continues, between Tenno words are rarely needed, we never spoke much over lunch or dinner, it seemed a pointless thing, and most social conversation took place in people's homes or on shuttle rides to and home from missions. It's the same here, Garrus and I don't need to talk, if we wish for friendly chat we will have it when we are both in the middle of something that does not involve eating.

As I finished a meal I hear the door to Shepards room open up, both me and Garrus look over to see and sad looking Kaidan walk out, looking around he spots me and Garrus and we both spot the look of rejection in his eyes, '_I guess Shepard finally told him, poor sod'_. Having finished my meal I decide to not wait and head directly towards Shepards office. Knocking on the door I hear a rather angry sounding Shepard.

"Kaidan, I told you to get out"

I opened the door and stepped in, as soon as I entered the room Shepard shot a dirty look my way, until she realized who she was glaring at and her look softened.

"Marc, I am sorry I thought it was Kaidan, I finally told him I wasn't interested, he did not take it well"

Chuckling I locked the door behind me and took of my mask, sitting down across from Shepard I look into her eyes, and the fatigue is painfully visible.

"Damn Jane, you look like shit right now"

"Well you know how to talk to a lady"

"What lady?"

Shepard shot me a glare and I just grinned my stupid grin, eventually she smiled as well.

"What brings you in here? " As I open my mouth she interrupts me "Wait, let me guess, Chakwas?

"Yep. She figured you would need someone to talk to, and she put it "preferably someone she has shared with before" and in this case, that means me apparently, so let's talk"

"What is there to talk about? I froze, it shouldn't have happened and it won't ever happen again."

I can hear her voice shaking as she speaks, she is definitely lying, not that I blame her.

"You froze, so? It happens to the best, lord knows I have frozen up a few times due to a few bad memories"

Shepard shot me a pointed glare

"Yes, but you hardly froze when you were in command of a squad whose life is in your hands"

A memory plays out in my mind, the first time I ever froze and paid the prize for it.

"Actually it was, and it was my first actual command as well. I was sent with a small team to infiltrate a base, the only problem? An old friend of my order showed up, and as soon as I saw him I froze right up, the amount of fear I felt in the moment he showed himself I cannot even describe, to this day I can still feel his cold glare, so Jane it is not for laughs or to soothe you that I tell you everyone freezes, we just do it for different reasons, and Jane unlike with my order, you knew the people you lost, and knew them well I guess?" Shepard nodded she looked quite fascinated by my sudden talkative streak "It was not like that with me, I didn't know the six people I had command over, I had been handed a list with their names and was told they were waiting for deployment, simple as that so when I froze it cost not six people I knew their lives, but six strangers, though they were my brothers and sisters in arms it still is what has helped me ever since to cope with it. It never gets easy, but you need to start talking about this with someone Jane, or it will only get worse, and if we are going to pursue this then we need you in top form"

Jane looked at me silently, and simply nodded.

"I know, it's just been so long, and when you keep something like this in for so long eventually it just becomes second nature to ignore it, and never speak of it. Though I must say I am surprised, you didn't strike me as the type who would want to divulge that much of his past"

"Don't change the subject Jane. I told you this so you would feel more at ease about talking about your own problems, I dealt with my demons long ago, and I am still fighting some of them, but you have been running from yours for too long, it's time to stop and face them"

Jane sighed and leaned back in her chair, we both sat there in silence for a minute or so, before Jane decided to talk.

"It happened so suddenly, we were inspecting the colony, trying to figure out why it went dark, and then without warning it came… that damn Thresher Maw burst from the ground and ate up ten marines in one go, before disappearing, from there it just went further and further to hell, we tried to make our way back to the LZ but on the way we lost just about everyone, I made it there alone… I still don't see how this is going to help me"

"Who said it was? Not me. I never claimed this would help you, it didn't help me to talk about any of the crazy shit I have seen, I still nightmares and everything, but talking with someone eventually made me see, that I was not at fault for the loss of anyone, and in time it made the memories tolerable, it is the same case here Jane ,you shouldn't feel bad because of what happened on Akuze, you survived they didn't such is the way of life, don't cry for the dead, just make sure that they didn't die for nothing"

I could see Jane's expression twist the more I fell into my "Tenno Soldier" persona, and as tough as it is, it is also the truth, don't ever cry for the dead, they died serving and that is the highest honor a Tenno can achieve in life, but whenever one Tenno dies in battle, we all take it personal and whoever killed them could be damn sure that their own lives were forfeit the moment they shot that final bullet.

"Such is the way of life!? What sort of screwed up way is that of looking at your comrade's death? How am I supposed to forget them? They were like family! For god's sake! Booker and Elizabeth were father and daughter! Miles had two sisters at home, Anna was engaged, and Greg was on his final deployment before he started N7 training! They all had their entire lives ahead of them, and you want me to just forget them?! What sort of cold and heartless people are you, if your comrades mean so little to you?!"

I felt my blood boil in tact with Jane's voice rising. Getting up I grabbed Jane by the collar and smashed her against the wall.

"How dare you?! What do you know of us?! Our comrades mean EVERYTHING TO US! Whenever one Tenno dies we all feel it! What you don't understand Jane is that we just don't weep for them, because they would not have their deaths be the cause of that! They wanted their deaths to inspire us, make us strive for becoming greater! So that one day we can escape the same situation as them and live!"

Looking Jane in the eye I slowly realize what the hell I have done, and I immediately let go of her, staggering back I slowly sit back down, and in a whisper I apologized

"I am sorry Jane, I… I never meant to do that, but when someone even suggest that a Tenno does not care for his brothers and sisters, we tend to lose it"

I felt a sharp pain go through my jaw as Jane's fist impacted it.

"Nothing to apologize for, but if you do that again I will kill you"

"Fuck me, duly noted Jane, and that is one hell of a right arm you got"

"Thanks, and thanks for this, though it turned out a little strange it actually made me feel slightly better."

"Which part? The talking or punching me?"

"Both…I will go report to Anderson about what happened; I take it you can see yourself out"

"Sure, just let my vision return, sheesh woman"

I just head Jane's laughter as she walked out of the room. Getting up I checked my jaw for a second, Jane does throw a good punch, if it wasn't for the reinforced bones something might actually have broken here. I walk out of the room and look over the cafeteria, a few glances are sent my way, I guess they heard the shouting, oh well.

Walking back into the med-bay Chakwas turns around and greets me.

"Ahh Echo, did you have that talk with the Commander?"

"I did Doc, mind looking over my jaw for a second? I think Shepard might have chipped it or something when she punched me" The glare I received could have melted a hole through the Normandy "What? We talked, it just so happened that it turned slightly violent when we disagreed on a few finer details"

"Finer details… I don't want to know, just tell me if she seemed better"

"Well her right cross certainly felt fine, as for her mind? I don't know doc, if this truly is her first panic attack, it's going to take a long ass time to get over it, for a soldier freezing on the battlefield is the worst form of sin, freezing means you gave into fear, you give into fear you stop fighting, you stop fighting, friends die. But such is the way of things, let her be for now and I will talk with her again, these are demons best fought alone doc, as much as we want to believe having someone else there is good, sometimes it only adds to the damage"

Chakwas nodded and silence befell us, after a few minutes I decided to take my leave. Walking towards the elevator I overhear a few soldiers talking by the tables, mostly random gossip again but also a few bits about us the ground team, '_I guess these guys have nothing better to do than sit around and gossip when not on duty'_. Reaching the elevator I press the button to call it, as I stand and wait I can hear the conversation from inside the com room, Shepard is telling Anderson about the attack, I guess that means she will be informed of Kohaku's presence on the Citadel, and that I guess becomes our next stop after Therum.

* * *

"_Commander, we have a signal from Therum, it seems like this could be our place"_

'_Urgh, Jokers voice is not the one I want waking me from my sleep, but I guess this means we have arrived at Therum, finally'_. The best course of action down there would be to just go along with the game story, use the Mako to blast our way through most everything until we hit the dig site, and then we have a little dance with an Armature on foot, and then it's into the ruins themselves.

Getting up I start getting my armor on and slowly get mentally ready for going into battle. '_It's going to be the first I have in this universe, or at least the first proper one, I wonder how Geth would react to a Rhino Stomp?' _I hear a bang on my door followed by Shepard stepping right in.' _Jeeze does the woman not understand the concept of privacy?'_

"Echo get rea… okay you are ready. Wait how did you know I would pick you to go with me?"

"I guessed, on Edolus you didn't exactly get to see me fight, so I figured you would take this as my second chance. Also Shepard, how about you wait for me to answer next time? I could have been naked for all you know"

A lewd smirk crept up on Shepards face

"Well now, we wouldn't want that now do we?"

I don't think it is possible to be more sarcastic than that, also is she seriously flirting with me?

"Oh no, but if you want a peek I'll do it if you return the favor"

Shepard just blushed a little and slugged me in the shoulder, which I couldn't feel all that well due to the Rhino. Following her out I look over towards the Mako, and once again Garrus is working on it, Tali is standing next to it and waiting and Wrex is sitting on a crate over in the corner.

"All alien team this time Shepard?"

"Not really, I mean you are human aren't you?"

"Some days"

I got a small snort as we walked over to the Mako, I gave Tali a small nod and she gave me on in return, silently I went over and stood next to Wrex while we waited for us to be close enough to drop us down. So we will be driving a little while before we hit the first outpost, and then we are not that far away from the dig site. Wait… if Kaidan is not going today, then who is driving? Oh god.

Climbing into the Mako I look towards the driver seat, and to my great horror Shepard is behind the wheel. Sitting down I strap myself in and get ready for a bumpy ride. As Tali comes in she sits down in the navigator's chair, and Garrus mans the gun. I guess that leaves me with old sunshine over there. The drop is not that far off, and usually you land a some three to five minute drive from the first outpost.

"_Drop in 10 seconds Commander"_

"Understood Joker"

'_well… off we go I guess' _and then came the feeling of free falling once more, a few seconds later and we were on the ground, and Shepard wasted no time in punching it.

* * *

'_Ohh god, Shepard can't drive for shit! This is insane, how the hell did she get her license?' _as the ride gets bumpier and bumpier I look up at Garrus, who is fully focused on shooting every geth he spots, myself I can do nothing but sit and wait, Wrex is not one for talking and Tali is busy navigating, and I am not risking my life by talking to Shepard while she is driving. I feel the Mako shake and turn as we near the outpost, checking over my weapons in my head I also make a small ammo count.

'_Tigris for Shepard with limited clips: Check.  
Galantine ready for close quarters: Check  
Soma for myself at distance: Check  
Rhino Warframe fully charged: Check  
And a single Vasto pistol: Check'_

Good, and I got plenty of ammunition for both my Soma and my Vasto. I feel the Mako take a sharp turn, looking outside I see we have hid the side path leading up to the outpost, I guess this is it, time for some real fun. As the Mako comes into the outpost Garrus starts cleaning up the outside and is doing a fine job of it.

When the area is clear, at least the outside we all depart the Mako and look around.

"We need to lower these gates, I guess a few geth might be left inside the buildings themselves"

Right you are Shepard, removing the Tigris from its holding, I throw it towards Shepard.

"Shepard, Catch" She turns around just in time to grab the Tigris out of the air "Remember, use the ammo sparingly, because you are not getting anymore. Also the Auto is on right now"

For a few seconds I saw true madness in Shepard's eyes, she looked ready to tear down a world with that thing, she really is a gun nut. Heading for the barracks where we will find the console I shoulder my Soma, better be prepared for the geth. As we step inside the barracks the sound of a geth reaches us soon enough, and I turn in its general direction and get my first look at an actual geth, and I must say they really look a lot different than from the games, now with actual metal and lights in front of me, and not just simple pixels on a screen. _'They look almost peaceful when they are standing still' _suddenly a boom explodes from the side of me, and the geth now has a hole in its chest, and Shepard is standing there with that old retarded smile.

Shaking my head I move over to the console and press the buttons and I see the gate lower. Heading outside towards the Mako I look towards the gate and see a few Geth have already set up a small barricade, _'Hmm two shields and four geth, not that difficult I guess I could use a workout'_ looking over at Wrex who is looking in the same direction I see the fire in his eyes, time to piss of the Krogan!

"Hey Wrex?" He looks in my direction; I jerk my head towards the geth "Watch this"

And off I go, sprinting towards the Geth I engage my Iron Skin, sprinting I can hear Shepard shout from behind me, I guess I am breaking the rules again, oh well. As I close in on the geth they start shooting, a few shots miss and a few impact the Iron skin, surprisingly their shots actually break off small pieces of the Iron skin, meaning I can't rely completely on it for protection in this universe, _'good, it would be too boring otherwise'_ I start charging up a Rhino Charge as I approach the geth, and when I feel the charge at full power I put away my Soma and draw my Galantine.

**Third Person Point of View**

Shepard was shouting after Echo, he was going off alone, a thing Shepard really didn't like when her crew did. But Shepard thought Echo had completely lost it when she saw him put away his rifle and draw his sword, _'He couldn't be thinking of engaging in close combat could he?' _Her question was answered not two seconds later when Echo released the built up Rhino Charge and he stormed forward slamming into one of the geth shields, buckling under the raw pressure the shield went down.

Echo's sword flew through the air impacting one geth right in the side cleaving it in two, the remaining three geth kept up their assault on Echo and never stopped shooting, but to Shepard, Garrus and Tali's surprise Echo didn't seem to care much, they all saw the silvery substance covering his armor, as well as when it disappeared where he got shot, but once more the sword came down on a geth, this time it didn't manage a clean cut through, but the geth that got hit was stuck on the blade, noticing this Echo smiled under his helmet and used raw strength to lift the geth along with the blade, swinging around Echo used the now improvised club to smash the third geth over the head, and both the geth on the sword as well as the one that got struck, got crushed under the sheer force of the impact.

The final geth started focusing fire more and more on the points where Echo had already lost his Iron skin, dents were starting to form all over the Rhino, Echo didn't seem to care that much, as he swung his sword one final time repeating what he did with the first geth and cleaving the final one over the waist cutting it in two. Echo placed his sword back on his back and made his way back towards the group.

**Marcs Point of View**

'_Ohh that was fun! I haven't had a workout in almost a year now!'_ Reaching Shepard and the team I see the furious look in Shepards eyes and I just wonder how much I fucked up with this.

"What the hell were you thinking?! I don't care how much you think you can handle, no one on my squad goes off on their own do you understand!?"

Yipes, she is pissed but fair is fair; this is not the Tenno I really need to start getting used to that.

"Understood Shepard, I am still getting used to not being with my fellow Tenno brothers and sisters, we are all fully capable so going off on your own is not really that bad, and since we are always fairly close to one another in case we need help"

Wrex grunted next to us

"Pft, what sort of cowardly way is that? You always stay close enough to save each other's skin just in case? If you were Krogan you would have been left for dead long ago"

Of course Wrex, ever the Krogan walking over to him I stand directly in front of him, without giving anything away I rear back my head and bring it flying down on his head plate, sending Wrex flat on his ass. As he gets back up I can see the utter confusion in his eyes, he is blinking a lot.

"What is it Wrex? Not used to getting smacked on your ass by a "coward"?

I half expected him to just pull out his shotgun and blast me, but instead he laughed and good lord Krogans can laugh laud when they want to.

"Hahahaha, you got a quad on you human! No one has knocked me on my ass in centuries!"

Chuckling along with Wrex I hear Shepard mutter "men" from a few ways away. Turning around we all head back to the Mako, and head out towards the dig site. On the way we meet more and more geth, the Armatures are close to getting through the Mako so I hope we are there soon, or we will be having holes in the Mako soon enough. On the way here I have been sitting relatively idle, just letting my thoughts wander wherever they wanted to, but suddenly I feel a large jerk as the entire Mako stands on its front wheels, and a large smack when it lands.

"Dammit! I could have sworn it would fit!"

… She tried to squeeze this goddamn thing through that small crack before the dig site didn't she? Lotus help me… Getting outside I assess the damage on the Mako and the entire front end is wrinkled in, looking over at Garrus I can almost see a small tear make its way down his cheek, poor sod. Walking over to Shepard who is rubbing her eyes right now.

"You just had to go and try to make it fit didn't you?"

Shepard looked me dead in the eyes how she did it with my helmet still on I will never know, and even with the helmet on her gaze felt very uncomfortable

"I. Thought. It. Would. Fit!"

Fighting my bad humor is starting to be quite the challenge when Shepard walks so easily into these small traps, but just this once I will let it go, we don't have the time.

"Well it didn't, now let's get going we got a Prothean expert to save"

Shepard nodded and started walking off towards the entrance to the dig site; I guess we are fighting an armature next. As we get up the hill and get a good view of the entrance we also notice the geth instantly, the Armature has yet to arrive so we have a few seconds to get going. And Wrex does so in spectacular fashion, he rushes forward and slams the first geth he sees and blows its head clean of with a shotgun blast. Scurrying to cover I engage my Iron skin once more and start taking shots. Most geth are easy targets but we do have two very anno…. Make that one very annoying rocket trooper.

"Scoped and dropped!"

… that sounds so retarded in real life… I am not joking here, that sounded absolutely horrible. As the geth start falling I hear that familiar sound of something falling, as I look up I see the armature on its way down.

"Everyone look out! Armature!"

Shepard beats me to the punch on warning the team, and I see everyone retreat to safe distance, the giant hulk of metal lands clean on the ground and starts activating, and lord it is huge as all hell. As the armature activates we all take care of the remaining geth, but as soon as the last one is down the first armature shot gets fired.

The shot misses us by a hairs length and both myself and Tali get flung out of the way because of the blast. After shaking of the blast I get right back up and start firing at this thing, those shields are heavy so constant fire is needed, and I can see Wrex is agreeing with me, he hasn't stopped shooting since the damn thing landed. Shepard is checking on Tali and Garrus is landing shots at the armatures weak legs. Running over to Shepard I see that Tali is fine, good.

"Shepard get in there, just this once don't worry about conserving ammo! Just blast the legs out from under that thing, I got Tali covered!"

Shepard nods and off she goes. Let me tell you, watching someone swing out a Tigris and just hold down the trigger is a sight to see, metal goes sprawling everywhere as the Tigris eats away of the Armatures leg, and eventually it blows the leg open in the middle causing the damn thing to fall over. As the head slams into the ground we all gather around it, the light in its head is out so I guess it's dead.

"Dropping Armatures on us now? Damn, the geth really wants this expert"

"You don't say Garrus? Let's just hope this is the only armature we have to deal with while we are here"

Looking over I see Shepard has gone back to Tali to check on her again, as we reach her I lean down and look over Tali, I don't see any puncture wounds on Tali's suit so everything external should be fine, but she could still have a few broken bones from the impact. Shepard helps Tali get up and we start walking up towards the ramp. Taking up the back I ensure we aren't followed by any geth, I stop to turn around and look over, see if we missed anything or anyone for that matter and everything is clear, I start going after the rest of the squad and as I step unto the ramp I hear a faint humming noise, turning around I notice the armatures head has come back to life and the damn thing is charging a shot right at me, fuck! _'ENGANGE: IRON SKIN' _I almost shout in my mind before everything goes dark.

**Shepard's Point of View**

'_Dammit I hope that Armature was the biggest thing we will be meeting today' _Walking up the ramp I look forward into the mining shaft, it's quite deep as one would expect, _'probably infested with geth as well'_ We don't have much time to stand around here. _'What is that humming noise?'_ Turning around my eyes fly open as I see the Armature lift its head slightly and fire of a blast towards Marc, I manage to see Marcs armor get covered in that silvery substance again before the shot impacts. The shot shakes the entire platform, and looking down I see Marc isn't moving.

"Fuck, Wrex kill that thing! Garrus, Tali help me get Marc!"

Did I just shout his actual name? Never mind that, we need to get to him. Sprinting down I see Wrex charge into the Armature's head and punch it with a fist filled with biotics. I hear some shotgun shots go off followed by metal being destroyed; hopefully it was the armatures head exploding.

"Joker! Get Chakwas on the line now!"

Come on, come on, come on don't you dare die on me here!

"_Chakwas here, what is the problem commander?"_

"Echo got hit by an armature shot!"

"_He did what? Okay, is there anything visibly wrong with him?"_

"He still has his armor on, it looks broken in some places, but I can't find a way to release the helmet"

"_I feared something like this when he came and talked to me…"_

"Doc, if you know something tell me right now!"

"_He told me that he has nanites in his blood commander, according to him as long as he hasn't suffered any major injury requiring surgery, the nanites should be able to heal him on their own given the time, but still Commander I suggest you get his helmet off we don't know if that helmet provides him with oxygen"_

"Damn it! Understood Doc, Shepard out. Tali, you see any way to get this helmet off him?"

Tali starts looking around the helmet, eventually she shakes her head.

"No, as far as I can see there is no locking mechanism"

"Dammit I guess we will just have to pull it off"

As I try to pull the helmet of his head a small beep sound comes from right around his throat area

"_Hello. I am the VI Eva, I am responsible for this Warframe and its Operator, why are you trying to remove my Operators helmet?"_

What the hell? Is this the same VI that tried to hack the Normandy? Didn't Marc shut her down?

"Your Operator is hurt; we need to get his helmet off so he can breathe"

"_Checking Suit Vitals…. Confirmed. Releasing Helmet Locks"_

As soon as I hear the locks open I remove the helmet and place it next to the armor, looking at the face Marc seems alright, at least no damage seemed to have reached his head, more so than what damage was already there.

"VI, is your Operator still alive?"

"_Confirmed. Operator Echo's vitals are low, but the nanites are repairing any damage found as we speak. Estimated time until awakening: Two minutes"_

I release a breath I wasn't realizing I was holding, so he is okay that is good. But two minute is a long time to wait in this situation, and having Wrex or Garrus carry him is too dangerous.

"Your first proper field test and you go get yourself shot by an Armature, you really are troublesome Echo"

**Marc's Point of View**

"You really are troublesome Echo"

….Urgh my head is spinning … what the hell happ … armature shot right … and did Shepard just call me troublesome?

"Urgh, you can be quite troublesome yourself Shepard"

Though I can't really see right now I can still hear Shepard's surprise as I sit up.

"Echo you are awake, your VI said it would be another two minutes before you awoke"

Ehh VI? If Eva reactivated that means my vitals dropped way low this time… also why can I feel a breeze on my face? Reaching up and feeling for my helmet I am instead met with my own face…

"Shepard, did you remove my helmet?"

"I did, we had to ensure you could breathe"

Oh well… I couldn't keep it a secret forever anyway, but keeping it for more than a week would have been nice. Looking next to me I see the helmet sitting on the ground, as I grab it I can immediately tell, this thing is busted beyond repair, all the circuitry is fried.

"Eva, how much of the Rhino Warframe is operational at the moment?"

"_Checking Suit Status…. The Rhino Frame is running at 10% capacity, all available power has been transferred to the shield generator and life support, all abilities are offline"_

"Curses… Well I guess I am going with only my guns this time, what a shame. And the helmet is busted too, can't even use it for protection right now, so Garrus you got to see my face a little earlier than I had anticipated"

Garrus made the Turian equivalent of a chuckle

"Seems I did, I understand why you tried to hide it, not the prettiest face you got going there"

"Beats having fringes"

Garrus just shrugged and Shepard looked at me with a critical eye.

"Are you sure you are okay?"

"I am fine Shepard, if I avoid getting shot at too much the rest of the mission the nanites should have fixed me by the time we get out of here"

Or by the time the volcano goes off, either way is fine with me. Coughing a little I feel some pressure against my left lung, guess I broke a rib again, that makes 154 total fractures on the ribs alone.

"If you say so, let's get going I want to get off this planet"

"Right behind you Shepard"

* * *

Reaching the actual ruins I look around a bit, if memory serves we get a few drones coming after us in 3, 2, 1 aaand go…

"Drones!"

Ahh future knowledge how I love you. I don't even have to react as Shepard and Wrex take down all three Drones with a few well places shots. Walking over to the elevator we all step inside and hit the button, as the elevator goes down we come out on the second platform, and cue more drones!

"Dro…"

"Got em!"

Pulling the trigger a full six times on my Vasto and both Drones are down for the count.

"At least let me finish…"

…. GOD DAMMIT SHEPARD! Don't make it so easy!

"I am not going to, no I won't make joke, I refuse…"

Jane just looked at me confused for a few seconds before going completely red.

"Oh the face matches the hair now"

AUCH! What the hell!? Again? Is she going to keep slugging me each time I make just a little comment?

"Yes I am"

Ehh what? Did she just? Noo… or did she? Nooo. You know what? Never mind it. As we step out from the second elevator I spot Liara in her force field, she looks a lot more helpless then she did in the game. Walking up to the scientist she noticed us immediately

"Oh hello, could you perhaps assist me? I seem to have gotten myself trapped"

Of course you did….

"How did you get trapped?"

Ohh no here we go… time to zone out again! Turning around I look out into the cave, I can see the mining laser so that should be simple enough, now in the game there is geth over there in the distance that you need to deal with, but right now I can't see any. As I get tapped on my shoulder I turn around to see Shepard staring at me again.

"This time you didn't listen"

"Nope, I didn't really care how she got stuck; did she tell you a way to get out?"

Shepard just sighed and shook her head.

"No, we will have to figure this one out ourselves"

I reach my hand over the railing and point down on the giant mining laser

"Think that will do the trick?"

Shepard moves past me to look over the edge, as she notices the mining laser she starts smiling and nodding.

"Yeah, that will do nicely"

The others start making their way down towards the mining laser; I stay up here just overlooking the entire thing, so far still no Geth.

"Ehm excuse me"

Hmm? Oh yeah Liara is here.

"Yes?"

"You are a human are you not?"

"Sometimes yes"

Liara looked completely confused; you would think I just told her I could grow a second head

"Sometimes? I was under the indication that humans could not change their species"

"We can't, but I am a special case Miss T'Soni"

"H-how do you know my family name?"

"I know a lot of things Miss T'Soni, I am part of a special order whom has access to a lot of information, and we have files on a lot of individuals that includes you and your mother"

"T-That sounds extraordinary, but how have you acquire this information?"

"Not my place to tell you Miss T'Soni"

"Ohh"

"Also, your full name was in the briefing we were given"

Suddenly the entire ruin shook and looking down I see the laser firing. As the laser stops I turn around to Liara

"I will be right back Miss T'Soni"

Jumping over the railing I land down right in front of Shepard giving her a little shock. Standing up I smiled at her and simply stepped to the side and gestured for her to go ahead, she slugged me again as she walked past me. We stepped on to the elevator and Shepard pressed a few buttons until we moved up to Liara. Walking over to the console I look at it for a few seconds, it's all in Prothean meaning I can't understand anything, oh well, I smash my hand against the console and surprisingly enough it works and Liara's bindings release. Shepard walks over and helps Liara get back up.

"There Miss T'Soni, I told you I would be right back"

"How did you manage to get past the barrier?"

Shepard smiled her usual stupid grin she does when she gets to fire interesting weapons.

"We used the mining laser to break through"

"Yes of course, it seems so obvious"

While Shepard and Liara continue their conversation I go back to the elevator and look up the large shaft, up there we will be facing a Krogan and a few geth, good times. With Liara here we should have some decent Biotic potential, but the main deal is the Krogan, letting Wrex handle him would probably be best. But I really don't want to let him have all the fun of fighting with a Krogan. And if I have made my calculations correctly the entire ruin should shake in 5, 4, 3

BOOM!

Well, a few seconds off, but it works. Shepard and Liara comes sprinting onto the elevator and we start our ascent towards freedom. As soon as the elevator hits the top floor a few geth comes rushing in along with a Krogan.

**Third Person Point of View**

Echo didn't event give the Krogan time to speak before he started firing, planting a few solid hits against the Krogans shields. Garrus sprinted to cover and started going at the geth with his sniper. Tali and Shepard went close range with their shotguns and did as much damage as possible, Wrex and Echo focused on the Krogan, Echo landing shots from afar while Wrex brought the pain close up. The fight between the two Krogan hardly seemed fair, Wrex had hundreds of years of experience, while the other Krogan didn't seem to have as much, since Wrex wiped the floor with him, Shepard and Tali has been forced into cover from the constant fire from the geth, but Garrus is taking them out one by one.

The Krogan manage to get a lucky strike in with biotics and Wrex gets sent into the wall, seeing this Echo sprints forward and shoulder slams the Krogan making him fall, withdrawing Galantine Echo swung the sword overhead, fully intending on cleaving the Krogans head in two, but as the blade came down the Krogan rolled out of the way and got back up, another biotic charged punch came flying towards Echo but he managed to dodge it by spinning to the side, dropping his blade Echo used the momentum from avoiding the punch to send his open palm flying into the forehead of the Krogan, reaching up under the Krogans head plate Echo used every bit of strength he had and ripped the Krogans plate off, a deafening scream sounded throughout the room as the Krogan fell to his knees sobbing, screaming and scared, Wrex came along and planted one single shotgun shell into the brain of the Krogan.

"Pathetic, letting your head plate get taken, you deserve no less"

Looking towards the others Echo and Wrex just manage to catch Liara using her biotics to trap the last two geth in a singularity and see Shepard and Tali take care of one Geth each. The entire ruin shakes once again and the entire squad runs towards the exit.

Coming up out of the ruins the Normandy is waiting for them, each of them jump aboard and the Normandy takes off flying as the ruins collapse on themselves overflowing with lava.

**Marc's Point of View**

'_That was a little too close for comfort'_ Sitting down against a crate inside the hangar I start breathing heavily, with the Rhino running on such a low amount of power I couldn't draw properly from its strength reserves, so I am dang tired. Looking over I see Garrus is equally winded, same goes for Tali and Shepard and Liara. Looking down I can see the massive dent in the front of my Rhino from the armature blast _'Damn, this frame is done_'

"You okay there Echo? Your armor looks more than a little damaged"

Standing up I can feel that my little tussle with the Krogan has left its mark

"I am fine Garrus, my armor is done for though, I don't have the expertise to repair this"

"Can't you just go to your order and get it fixed?"

"Not really Shepard, my orders location is hidden even from me, I am only permitted to return once a year, same with the rest of the Tenno we get to return one day a year, and there we decide whatever we want to go out again, or train a year before doing more missions"

That is of course complete bullshit but I need to give them some excuse for not getting my Rhino fixed

"Well that is a problem, so are you going to start using regular armor until you are allowed to return?"

I have an alternative… but I don't like it.

"No, I have an extra Armor in my ship"

"You brought spares?"

"I thought something like this might happen"

Shepard just nods and turns around and starts talking to Liara. _'Damnit am I really going to have to start using the Alpha frame? I can't use the Mass Effect armors they don't mix well with my training" _Going inside my ship I take out the Alpha frame and look over it. _'It's ready for the field, as long as I stay with the Rhino, Loki, Excalibur and Oberon frames it should be okay, those four are field tested, the rest I don't know about'_

"Eva how much of the Alpha frame is complete?"

"_Scanning…. The Alpha Frame has the following Warframes installed and operational: Excalibur, Loki, Oberon, Rhino, Ash and Volt for male operators. Nyx, Banshee, Ember, Trinity and Saryn for female operators. The Mag and Frost have their abilities installed but they cannot be utilized unless the Alpha Frame is in Neutral Mode. Cross Sex Warframes functional: None."_

"Good, good. Prepare it for use Eva, as much as I don't want to I have no other alternative, disassemble the Rhino and keep it in storage in case we need to extract parts from it"

"_Understood Operator Echo"_

Leaning back against the wall I look over the Alpha frame one more time, my biggest problem with this thing has always been its look in neutral mode, it resembles the Stalker way to much same black tint and red lines, just without the creepy black smoke and homicidal operator.

"Marc?"

Hm? Looking up I see Shepard in the door, I guess I forgot to close it when I entered.

"What is it Jane?"

She steps inside and stands next to me, she looks over the Alpha Frame

"Is this your spare? It looks a lot different from the other one"

"It is, and this one is about a hundred times more dangerous than the old one. Both too our enemies and us, this is the Alpha Frame, developed by the Tenno, it contains many different Warframes, it was built so operators could switch between Warframes in the middle of a mission depending on what they need. But it is still experimental, I have only tested four Warframes with it"

Jane looks at me with a hard stare.

"Will it be any danger to the team?"

"Not as long as I stick to the tested Warframes, like the Rhino I already use, I am going to be sticking to that for as much as I can, but if the situation demands that I change to something better suited, I will do that. Just don't expect me to change all the time; it requires a lot of energy to make it shift directly from one Warframe to another"

"Good. Let's get going we need to debrief and decide on our next destination"

"Roger, how do you think our resident pessimist is going to handle another alien aboard the ship?"

Jane sighs loudly at this

"I don't know, and right now I don't care, if Ashley has a problem with her then she can keep it to herself for now, I don't want to deal with that sort of problem right now"

"Good plan, but someone should really talk to her about this, we are going to be working with Garrus and Tali for a while, so she should really get used to being around aliens"

"Thank you for volunteering!"

"I… what?"

She was out of the ship before I had a chance to reply.

**A/N: Okay chapter 6 woo! I hope you enjoyed this, and some feedback on the actual "action" would be fantastic, I haven't written action before so I would like to know how I did, and a few pointers if you got some tips. Oh and don't worry Booker and Elizabeth was just there for me to make a little nod towards Bioshock, besides names they have nothing to do with each other, we are not pulling Bioshock into this just yet. But now I get to add a different disclaimer!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Mass Effect or the characters from Bioshock: Infinite.**


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